News for Paul Goldschmidt - 2017 4x4 NL League - $260 Cap

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Wed Jul 19 201721:23New D-backs slugger Martinez a stranger in strange land
CINCINNATI -- J.D. Martinez walked into the Arizona Diamondbacks' clubhouse at Great American Ball Park on Wednesday afternoon and didn't know anyone, an odd occurrence for someone who has played in the major leagues for seven years, and for teams in both leagues.But, aside from left-handed starter Robbie Ray, with whom he played for one season in Detroit, Martinez was in a completely foreign environment."It'll take me a couple days and settle in," Martinez said, sitting in the visitors' dugout wearing his new D-backs warmup gear. "I look at these colors and it doesn't feel right. But, it's a blessing to be here. It's a chance to go to the playoffs, man. Some people go their whole career and never get that chance."Martinez, however, got off to a rough start with the Diamondbacks, leaving the Wednesday game against the Cincinnati Reds in the fourth inning with a contusion after being hit on the left hand by a pitch. X-rays were negative and he is officially listed as day-to-day.Martinez, who is wearing uniform No. 28, batted .305 with 13 doubles, 16 home runs, and 39 RBIs in 57 games with Detroit this season. He was acquired from the Tigers on Tuesday night in exchange for minor league infield prospects Dawel Lugo, Sergio Alcantara and Jose King.Martinez began his career in Houston then spent the past four seasons in Detroit, where he batted .300 with 99 homers, 285 RBIs and a .551 slugging percentage in 458 games. He was widely considered the best position player on the market leading up to the July trade deadline."You never want to leave a team you've been with for that long," Martinez said. "I grew up there. It's where I became who I am. But, I'm in a great opportunity here. Guys are hungry. There are a lot of good hitters here. There's a lot of speed. I'll do everything I can to get this team to the playoffs."Arizona (54-39) began Wednesday in second place in the National League West, trailing the Los Angeles Dodgers by 10 1/2 games but sitting only a half-game behind the NL wild-card-lead Colorado Rockies. Martinez helped guide the Tigers to an American League Central title in 2014."I remember Torii Hunter telling me, 'If you make the playoffs, it'll be like the first day of spring training,'" Martinez said. "He wasn't kidding. The adrenaline. The crowd. It's what you play for. This is a chance to do it. I'm in on it."With another quality bat to add to his lineup card, D-backs manager Torey Lovullo shuffled the top four hitters in his lineup, most notably putting Paul Goldschmidt in the cleanup spot to get him additional run-producing opportunities.Arizona set a franchise record Tuesday night when nine different players recorded an extra-base hit in an 11-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds in the series opener.Outfielder Rey Fuentes was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a left thumb contusion on Wednesday, opening a roster spot for Martinez.So, how did it feel for Lovullo to write the name of a quality hitter like Martinez on the lineup card Wednesday, a guy who wasn't on the team a day ago?"It's the first time I've ever had something like that happen, so I had to make sure I spelled his name right, first of all," Lovullo said. "It was an exciting moment for me. You think about some (lineup) options the night before, then you're excited to see him walk through the door."