Giants, Tigers have discussed J.D. Martinez trade

The Giants and Tigers have discussed a trade involving outfielder J.D. Martinez, according to Jon Morosi of MLB.com. Morosi adds that the talks took place at last week’s general manager meetings and that they haven’t advanced past the initial stage.

Martinez is in the final year of his two-year contract with Detroit and will be owed $11.75 million in 2017. The 29-year old reinvented himself after joining the Tigers in 2014. Martinez was drafted by the Astros in 2009, and made his big-league debut for in 2011. While with Houston, the Miami native wasn’t exactly putting up sparkling numbers with an underwhelming slash line of .251/.300/.387 that led to his release in early 2014. Since signing with Detroit, he has hit .299/.357/.540 with 83 home runs and made a name for himself as one of the American League’s bigger bats.

Martinez missed two months for Detroit in the 2016 season after an elbow injury sent him to the DL. While his glove isn’t the most flashy, he would be sustaining a hole left in the outfield with a powerful bat. With San Francisco looking to sign ace Madison Bumgarner to a second extension, it’d be smart to them to look for short and affordable contracts of Martinez’s nature. Fear of commitment in the outfield? Maybe. But a smart fear of commitment it is.