Dodgers to part ways with 6-time All-Star amid Shohei Ohtani addition

Oct 11, 2022; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (30) reacts during game one of the NLDS for the 2022 MLB Playoffs against the San Diego Padres at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers defeated the Padres 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Shohei Ohtani’s decision is very good news for the Los Angeles Dodgers but very bad news for one of the key players from last year’s team.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Saturday that JD Martinez will now need to find a new team in the wake of Ohtani deciding to sign with the Dodgers. Heyman adds that Ohtani’s now-former team, the Los Angeles Angels, are a possibility for Martinez as are the Seattle Mariners, New York Mets, and Arizona Diamondbacks.

Martinez, 36, is a full-time designated hitter, so this was always going to be the outcome if Ohtani chose the Dodgers. But Martinez can still play his role well, hitting .271 with 33 home runs and 103 RBIs last season en route to the sixth All-Star selection of his career (though he did only play 113 games due to injury).

Also a former World Series champion and three-time Silver Slugger winner, Martinez shouldn’t have trouble finding a new home this offseason. Losing your job to Shohei Ohtani is an honorable way to go out as well, especially considering the ludicrous amount of money the Dodgers are paying their new DH.