"It's ugly and not fun, unless you're Juan Soto, Shohei Ohtani" - J.D. Martinez reveals conversation with Pete Alonso about free agency

J.D. Martinez is a free agent, so he knows the struggle associated with the uncertainty that comes with it. With mere days left until Spring Training, several players are still on the open market.

This is not an uncommon instance. Last year, a few of the biggest names in free agency went unsigned through the start of Spring Training, and that could be the case for a couple of players this year as well.

Martinez spoke with his former teammate Pete Alonso and discussed the struggles of free agency on "New York Post Sports" on Thursday. This came before Alonso was signed to a two-year deal, but Martinez spoke on the somewhat universal experience that he and Alonso have undergone.

Martinez said about his conversation with Alonso (27:00):

"I mean I kind of talked to Pete about it during the season. I said, 'Hey listen uh don't think it's going to be all butterflies and rainbows you know because it's not.'

"'It's ugly and not fun unless you're a guy like Juan Soto, Shohei Ohtani. If you're the elite elite and you're at the top of the game, the best in the game, it's going to be Disneyland for you. You're going to have a blast. Everything is going to be fun, but if you're not, it's going to be a struggle. It's going to be a grind.'"

The former New York Mets DH added that he and his team are just waiting around to see what happens. He said he's never had a ton of interest from teams, and whatever team he ended up on was one of the few that actually did even reach out.

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J.D. Martinez picks new sport for life after baseball retirement

J.D. Martinez's best days are arguably behind him as he continues to be a free agent. In a 14-season career that involved six All-Star Game appearances, he also won the 2018 World Series with the Boston Red Sox.

J.D. Martinez is taking up pickleball (Imagn)

He has planned life ahead, though, as plans to take up pickleball. Via CBS Sports, he said:

"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."

Martinez has already signed on with an equipment brand, and he has started getting coached by pickleball professional Eric White.