Dodgers Reportedly Interested in Trading for Jose Martinez from Cardinals

The Los Angeles Dodgers are interested in acquiring St. Louis Cardinals first baseman/outfielder Jose Martinez, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic:

The 30-year-old Martinez had 17 home runs, 83 RBI and a .305/.364/.457 slash line in 152 games last season.  

While his prowess at the plate is unquestioned, Martinez struggles in the field. He had a minus-2.1 dWAR last season, per Baseball Reference.

Martinez's defensive struggles make the Dodgers' interest in him a bit head-scratching. He seems like a much better fit for an American League team, where he can be a designated hitter and moonlight in the field only if necessary.

The Dodgers may be looking to add some pop to their order with some of their starters from last year headed into free agency (namely Manny Machado and Yasmani Grandal), but fixing one problem only to create another isn't necessarily the best solution.

On the plus side, Martinez won't break the bank, as the three-year veteran isn't eligible for free agency until 2023. Spending money isn't a problem for the Dodgers, who had an Opening Day payroll of more than $187 million last season, per Cot's Baseball Contracts. Still, L.A. would get Martinez's bat at a tremendous value.

The Cardinals considered shipping out Martinez prior to the trade deadline, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. They moved him to the bench for a while, but he eventually began playing full time again.

Martinez looks like an even worse fit this upcoming season with ex-Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Paul Goldschmidt now playing first.

It bears watching whether anything materializes between L.A. and St. Louis, but American League team making a move for Martinez also wouldn't be surprising.