PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — The Mets have insisted all spring that they’re a playoff-caliber team. On Saturday, J.D. Martinez indicated that he signed with the team precisely for that reason.
“I want to win,” he told reporters at his introductory press conference.
“I’m addicted to the playoffs,” he added. “I’ve been there multiple times… and once you get a taste of that, it’s kind of addicting.”
Martinez had other offers. The Giants offered him $14 million, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, but the ballpark played a factor in his decision to decline.
“If I’m being quite honest, it’s not the best hitter-friendly park for me,” Martinez said. “If I go there and I hit .260 with 20 (home runs), people are going to say i’m old, washed up and i’m done, find myself out of the game. I wanted to give myself the best opportunity, it was nothing against the Giants organization.”
On his first official day in camp, Martinez was very active. Shorty before the Mets introduced the man with five years of postseason experience — and a World Series ring — he was seen in the backfields, standing in on Adrian Houser’s bullpen session. And again headed into the batting cages where an eclectic mix of 80s music was blasting, and finally, he took hacks in batting practice inside the stadium at Clover Park — many of which sailed over the fence.
Martinez had already been hitting five days a week at his alma mater Nova Southwestern University and in Ricardo Sosa’s facility in Miami, but nothing like he’s going to do now that he’s with the Mets.
“It’s one of those things where it doesn’t take the place of actual baseball,” Martinez said. “You can train as hard as you want all offseason, but nothing gets you ready like baseball for actual baseball. It’s just I gotta get out there, I gotta see live (BP), I gotta see pitching.
“I haven’t seen 100 mph since October. So, it’s one of those things where you kinda gotta get…
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