J.D. Martinez hasn’t officially retired from baseball, but he’s already planning a post-retirement pivot to pickleball. Table tennis and pickleball equipment manufacturer JOOLA announced a sponsorship contract Tuesday, detailing the free agent DH’s intention to compete in competitive pickleball when his baseball career comes to an end.
With JOOLA, Martinez will receive training, as well as backing for professional events and tournaments hosted by the slugger himself. According to the release, Martinez has started training with pro Eric White.
“I see pickleball as a sport I’ll be involved in for the long run,” Martinez said in a statement on JOOLA’s website. “And JOOLA’s commitment to the sport and my personal growth in the game makes this partnership even more special.”
This doesn’t necessarily come as a surprise considering Martinez often talked about his love of pickleball and his desire to play competitively. After the Mets were eliminated from the postseason by the Los Angeles Dodgers last fall, the 37-year-old, 14-year MLB veteran was asked what could come next for him. Martinez answered quickly, saying “Pickleball.” He made it clear that he would like to continue playing baseball but was aware that the decision is somewhat out of his control.
“If it happens, it happens; if it doesn’t, I’ll go from there,” Martinez said in Los Angeles in October. “It’s one of those things where. I’m not going to come back because I’m begging to come back. That doesn’t make sense. Time is the most valuable thing and it’s got to be worth the time.”
Martinez’s first child, a daughter, was born in September. He spent only a few days with her before rejoining the Mets for the end of the regular season and a playoff run that saw them take the Dodgers into six games in the NLCS. Martinez struggled at the plate after his return from paternity leave, recording only three hits over 45 at-bats in 13 games in what he called a “streak of bad luck.” The Mets continued with the DH platoon of Martinez and left-handed hitter Jesse Winker in the postseason, but Winker received the bulk of the at-bats.
Martinez finished the season hitting .235 with a .725 OPS, his second-lowest mark in a full season of play since 2012. Still, he proved valuable to the Mets in his one season in Queens, hitting 16 home runs, including some key homers in the summer to help the Amazin’s stay in the mix for a postseason position.
Twice, Martinez has signed free agent contracts after the start of spring training. It was frustrating enough that he had thoughts of retirement, but ultimately, he signed a one-year $12 million contract with heavy deferrals shortly before Opening Day. Martinez joined the Mets in late April and quickly became a valued veteran voice in the clubhouse.
A six-time All-Star and a World Series champion with the Boston Red Sox, Martinez successfully turned himself into one of the game’s top hitters after being released by the Houston Astros early in his career. If this is the end, he’s at peace and ready to move on to pickleball.
“If it is, what a great year of a great career,” Martinez said. “Nothing to hold my head down over.”
