5 former Tigers players still without a job heading toward Spring Training

JD Martinez

Former Tigers star JD Martinez is also a yet-to-be-signed free agent for what could be his age-36 season. His accomplishments with the Tigers in 2014, his breakout year (and the last year the Tigers went to the postseason), are well-documented, and he's been consistently excellent ever since. If anything, he seems to be getting a little better with age. During his 2023 with the Dodgers, he batted .271/.321/.572 and hit 33 home runs with 103 RBI.

Martinez's free agency raised some eyebrows for some Tigers fans, who wondered what a possible Martinez/Detroit reunion could look like. Although that possibility was quickly shut down, as the Tigers aren't looking for a full-time DH who would uproot some of their plans for younger players, the thought was fun to entertain for a moment, if only for nostalgia's sake.

Despite his age, it seems likely Martinez will be coming back to MLB. It won't be for the Tigers, but the Mets, Blue Jays, and Angels have all expressed interest at various points of the offseason, and age doesn't seem like it needs to be a concern when he continues to perform at the same clip. Although he won't be donning the Old English D in the last few years of his career, he's an easy one to root for no matter where he ends up.