Giancarlo Stanton led Major League Baseball with 59 home runs in 2017. But on Friday afternoon, the Giants announced they are officially moving on from their pursuit of the National League MVP.
J.D. Martinez finished second in the big leagues with 45 home runs this season, and on Friday afternoon, San Francisco’s pursuit of the free agent slugger could be heating up.
According to a report from ESPN’s Buster Olney, the Giants have discussed the idea of signing Martinez to help address a lineup that finished dead last in baseball with just 128 home runs this year. Martinez spent the first part of the season with the Detroit Tigers, but was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks and proceeded to help the Giants’ National League West foe push for the playoffs.
Martinez produced at a prolific rate down in the desert, hitting 29 home runs in just 62 games while helping lead the Diamondbacks to a Wild Card berth.
Early reports have indicated that Martinez and his agent Scott Boras are pursuing a contract worth upward of $200 million, but Martinez is more likely to secure a deal south of $175 million.