ESPN: Martinez, Gonzalez possible fillers for D-backs’ outfield

The start of Spring Training is just a few weeks away, and the Arizona Diamondbacks’ outfield depth continues to be a concern.

The D-backs currently roster four outfielders in A.J. Pollock, David Peralta, Yasmany Tomas and Chris Owings, with Pollack and Peralta the two most likely to maintain a starting position if they can remain healthy.

There are still numerous free agents available that the D-backs can target according to ESPN’s David Schoenfield, with J.D. Martinez and Colorado Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez two that can make an impact.

Martinez continues to stalemate with Boston over the five-year, $100 million contract the Red Sox offered him in January.

At the start of free agency, Martinez’s agent Scott Boras had requested a deal in the $200 million range for his client, a steep price despite Martinez coming off the best season of his career batting .302/.376/.690 in 62 games for the D-backs.

If he continues to hold out, the D-backs could swoop in and sign the slugger to a one-year deal, but even then, Schoefield believes that Martinez is likely too expensive to keep in Arizona.

That’s where Carlos Gonzalez could come into play.

Schoenfield believes Gonzalez could be a nice addition for the D-backs, but it could also be risky.

“Gonzalez would be a nice gamble on a one-year contract, giving Gonzalez a chance to rebuild his value after a rough 2017,” he said.

Gonzalez’s 10-year career started with the Oakland Athletics in 2008 before he was acquired by the Rockies in 2009. There, he won three Golden Glove awards, three Silver Slugger awards and was a three-time All-Star selection — the most recent in 2016.

Before that, of course, Gonzalez was signed by the D-backs as an amateur free agent in 2002. He was ranked as the 18th best Minor League prospect by Baseball America in 2007.

Also in 2007, he was traded to the Oakland Athletics as part of the Dan Haren trade.

Gonzalez batted .262/.339/.423 in 136 games for the Rockies in 2017, with Colorado making an appearance in the National League Wild Card game against the Diamondbacks.

Along with Martinez and Gonzalez, Schoenfield also included Texas Rangers’ Carlos Gomez, Seattle Mariners’ Jarrod Dyson and the Chicago Cubs’ Jon Jay as possible targets to fill the Diamondbacks’ lack of depth in the outfield.

The outfield position is one of the last holes Arizona has yet to fill this offseason. On Thursday, they signed catcher Alex Avila to a two-year deal worth $8.25 million.

Diamondbacks’ pitchers and catchers will report for the first Spring Training workout on Feb. 14, with the first full-squad workout on Feb. 19.

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