December 19th, 2022 at 8:00 am 
by Jayann Kellogg Media sources confirmed that the Dodgers had negotiated a one-year/$10 million contract with 35-year-old/12-year MLB veteran designated hitter J.D. Martinez on Saturday afternoon, December 17, 2022. The Miami, Florida native, five-time All-Star, and three-time Silver Slugger will be taking up most of the plate appearances that the beloved Justin Turner, who became a free agent at the end of the 2022 season, would have taken as the Dodgers designated hitter, which will be implemented in the National League beginning in 2023.
With the uncertainty of where the 38-year-old Long Beach, CA native and longtime Dodgers third baseman will end up, having a well-established power-hitting designated hitter like Martinez in their lineup will be essential in the Dodgers pursuit of the 2023 World Series championship … and beyond.
The 35-year-old Martinez brings an outstanding résumé to the Dodgers lineup. Although the right-handed-hitting five-time All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger, and 2018 World Series Champion struggled in 2022 which, in turn, dropped his career OPS .077 points, he still finished the season with a very impressive .274/.341/.488/.790 slash line, with 16 home runs and 62 RBIs in the 139 games in which he appeared.
The (now) former Boston Red Sox will have a familiar face to call his teammate with his new team. Six-time All-Star, six time Gold Glove winner, five-time Silver Slugger and fellow World Series champion Mookie Betts will be reunited with his former teammate in the Camelback Ranch and Dodger Stadium clubhouses beginning in 2023. He will also be reunited with his former Red Sox hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc, whom he credits for resurrecting his career.
(Billie Weiss)
The Dodgers are still in need of a shortstop. As such, there will be additional new faces in Dodger Blue in the coming days and weeks.
Who will be the next new Dodger?
Stay tuned…
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Editor’s Note:
Late Sunday evening, it was widely reported – and confirmed – that the Boston Red Sox (go figure) had signed Justin Turner to a two-year/$22M deal.
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If anyone was to replace JT on the roster there isn’t a better choice than JD Martinez.
Correa not a Giant.
Runs Produces 70 runs plus 64 rbi minus 22 homers=112 runs produced.
Not great by any measure.