After missing out on a chance to secure the biggest free agent of them all when Shohei Ohtani decided to take his talents to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Toronto Blue Jays could be looking in a different direction in pursuit of quality bats in free agency. Two free agents, JD Martinez and Justin Turner, are said to have the interest of the American League East division club, according to Jon Morosi of the MLB Network.
The Blue Jays have sincere interest in free agents J.D. Martinez and Justin Turner, whom Bo Bichette mentioned in a recent @FAN590 interview.
Martinez (.880 OPS) and Turner (.766) both produced against RHP last year, which overrides the Jays' slight preference to add LHH.
The 36-year-old Martinez is coming off a solid 2023 MLB campaign with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He hit .271/.321/.572 with 33 home runs and 103 RBIs across 113 games and 432 plate appearances for Los Angeles, while also earning his fifth All-Star nod (third in a row). Martinez's 134 OPS+ in 2023 was also his highest since posting a 139 OPS+ in 2019 when he was still with the Boston Red Sox.
Turner, on the other hand, slashed .276/.345/.455 with 23 home runs and 96 RBIs in 146 games and 626 plate appearances in 2023 for the Red Sox. That's quite a production for someone who just turned 39 last November.
The Blue Jays finished the 2023 MLB season eighth in the majors with a .256 batting average, 10th with a .324 wOBA, and eighth with a 107 wRC+. Led by Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrerro Jr., the Blue Jays could get better by adding veteran help, but it remains to be seen just how aggressive Toronto will be in pursuing Martinez and Turner.
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