Detroit Tigers and J.D. Martinez unlikely to talk contract extension during the season

Detroit Tigers outfielder J.D. Martinez told reporters on Wednesday that it’s unlikely that he and the club will negotiate an extension during the season.

Detroit Tigers outfielder J.D. Martinez is due to become a free agent at the end of the season, but the club and player are unlikely to discuss a new deal in the middle of the season. Martinez said as much when he spoke with reporters before Wednesday’s game.

Martinez, who will turn 30 in August, is primed for a big payday in free agency. Since rebuilding his swing ahead of the 2014 season — a moment in time that coincided with his departure from the Astros and his signing with Tigers on a minor league contract — Martinez has been the ninth best hitter in baseball by wRC+. That puts him just ahead of the likes of Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Giancarlo Stanton.

This close to free agency, Martinez isn’t going to want to limit his market of potential suitors. MLB Trade Rumors listed him No. 6 in their power rankings of potential free agents in April, and No. 2 among position players.

Defense is a concern for Martinez — especially as he ages into his 30s — but his bat would bring value to any club. He should easily fetch a deal similar to the one Justin Upton received from the Tigers ($22 million annually).

The question for the Tigers is whether they’ll be involved in the Martinez bidding at all. They can probably afford to pay him, say, $22 million next season without raising payroll very much but that would come at the cost of other team needs and would further lock the club into the current (aging) core. General manager Al Avila expressed a desire to reshape the team into one that’s younger and cheaper and better suited for long-term sustainability.

The Tigers discussed trading Martinez this past offseason but didn’t find a deal they like. It’s possible that they put him back on the block this summer if they fall out of the postseason race. If they continue to hang around (as they’re doing now) they’ll hang onto him for the stretch run and extend a qualifying offer after the season.

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If Martinez signs elsewhere, the Tigers will be eligible to collect draft pick compensation assuming they do extend a qualifying offer and Martinez’s deal ends up being worth more than $50 million (both caveats seem like a slam dunk).