J.D. has 331 major league home runs and a career wRC+ of 130. Martinez said don't expect too much from the free agent market just because you've seen the experiences of Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto. For most players, the process can be brutal and unpleasant.

Prior to Pete Alonso's signing with the New York Mets, Martinez, who was with him last year, revealed on the New York Post's sports podcast that he had given advice to Alonso, who was looking to test his value in the free agent market, during the season: "I told him, 'Don't think it's going to be good, because it won't. ’”

"It's brutal and it's no fun, unless you're a player like Juan Soto or Shohei Ohtani." "If you're the best of the best, the best players, then it's like Disneyland for you, you're going to be happy, everything is going to be fun," Martinez said. But if you're not, it's going to be a struggle, it's an ordeal, and you have to be patient. ”

The 37-year-old Martinez played wRC+ 135 and 33 hits during his time with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2023, but he was slow to sign in the offseason and did not sign with the Mets until the start of the season. Last year's wRC+ of 106 was his lowest performance in the last decade outside of a season, but he still hopes to continue playing in the major leagues.

Speaking about his experience in the free agent market, Martinez said: "I understand that I know that you are either not particularly rich or you can become very rich in order to calm yourself down. Of course, it's a bit of a self-esteem break, and seeing players who don't do as well as you get more money than you can compare that to you, but that's not the case lately. ”

Martinez believes that the problem with the free agent market is that all teams use the same set of algorithms, and they all come to the same conclusion by entering player data into a computer. For example, computers favor young players, and the older they get, the less favorable they become, causing the market to become sluggish.

"What does your computer know about me? Do you know how I train, how I control my diet, how I take care of myself? "They say it's what history tells us, it's data, but what if I'm an exception?" I feel like there's something wrong with the free agent market and that's something that needs to be fixed. ”

Alonso eventually returned to the Mets on a two-year, $54 million contract. It is rumored that in June 2023, the Mets offered a seven-year, $158 million contract extension, but Alonso refused.

Martinez's comments revealed the dilemma faced by many players in the free agent market, especially those who are not at the top level. While superstars like Shohei Ohtani and Soto are able to secure lucrative contracts, the free agent market can be a challenging and uncertain process for most players.