
J.D. Martinez isn’t yet sure which team he’ll be playing for in 2025, but the former Red Sox slugger has a clear idea of what he wants to do after he retires from baseball.
Martinez signed an exclusive deal with pickleball company JOOLA earlier this week in order “to prepare to transition to professional pickleball after his baseball career,” according to a release from the company. Martinez, 37, has taken up pickleball as an offseason hobby in recent years at home in south Florida and often posts about the sport on his Instagram account.
According to JOOLA’s release, Martinez has “already begun training under the expert guidance of JOOLA pro Eric White. As part of this partnership, JOOLA will provide J.D. with comprehensive support, including coaching and equipment. In addition to training, J.D. will receive backing from JOOLA to compete in professional events like the PPA Challenger Series and to host his own pickleball tournaments.”
Martinez was quoted in the release.
“I see pickleball as a sport I’ll be involved in for the long run and JOOLA’s commitment to the sport and my personal growth in the game makes this partnership even more special,” he said.
Martinez, who hit .292 with 130 homers in 637 games over five seasons with the Red Sox from 2018 to 2022, slowed down a bit in 2024 with the Mets, hitting just .235 with 16 homers and a .725 OPS in 120 games after his season got off to a delayed start because he didn’t sign with New York until late March. He missed the All-Star Game for the first time in four seasons but returned to the playoffs for the second straight year, going just 4-for-18 during the Mets’ run to the ALCS.
Martinez is reportedly planning on playing baseball again in 2025, though he remains a free agent with spring training set to begin next week. If something doesn’t materialize, he could begin his pickleball career earlier than expected.