"I wanted to give myself the best opportunity" - JD Martinez discusses fear of public remark that led to him turning down Giants' reported offer

Having finalized a one-year, $12 million contract with the New York Mets for the upcoming season, JD Martinez revealed the reason why he turned down an offer from the San Francisco Giants. In the past few weeks, Martinez was one of the top free agents available in the MLB market and the Giants had reportedly made him an offer as well. However, he declined their proposal. He has now said he preferred to play at the Mets' Citi Field rather than the Oracle Park in San Francisco, as reported by MLB Network's Anthony DiComo:

"If I'm being quite honest, it's not the best hitter-friendly park for me. If I go there and I hit .260 with 20, people are going to say I'm old and I'm washed up and I'm kind of done, and [I'll] find myself out of the game. I wanted to give myself the best opportunity"

JD Martinez started his major league career with the Houston Astros in 2011 and has also played for the likes of the Tigers, the Diamondbacks, and the Red Sox. The best season of his career was in 2018, when he finished as the American League leader in RBIs and won the World Series. Last year, he signed a one-year, $10 million contract with the Dodgers and hit .271 with 33 homers in 113 games, provided a great return in investment.

Just days before the start of regular season, Martinez was one of the last big names available in the free agent market and several clubs showed interest. He ultimately decided to sign with the Mets for $12 million and finalized the deal on Saturday. When asked about why he chose New York over San Francisco, he talked about Citi Park being a better stadium for him to have a good season and continue his form in the MLB.

JD Martinez opens up on his goals for the 2024 MLB season with the Mets

Just hours after finalizing his contract with his new team, JD Martinez gave his first press conference as a New York Mets player.

It has been reported that the veteran slugger will start the season in the minors to get back in shape and will not be available for the first 10 games. However, he expressed his desire to win with his new team and said that his goal is to make the playoffs and compete for the World Series:

"I'm addicted to the playoffs. I've been there multiple times...once you get a taste of that, it's kind of addicting."