DOMINATING DIAMONDBACKS

J.D. Martinez wants to stay with Arizona, and drove home that point four times Monday

“It’s definitely something I’d love, I’d be interested in. I’ve loved my time here. The guys are great. The team is young. They’re definitely going to be good for a while.” J.D. MARTINEZ D-BACKS OUTFIELDER, ON CONSIDERING SIGNING WITH THE CLUB AFTER HE BECOMES A FREE AGENT THIS FALL

LOS ANGELES – J.D. Martinez laughs at the idea that, only a few weeks after his 30th birthday, he’s one of the veterans on the Diamondbacks’ roster. But it’s also one of the things he likes most about his new team – and one of the reasons he says he’d love to be able to remain with the Diamondbacks beyond this season.

“I’ve thought about it a lot,” Martinez, a free agent at the end of the season, told azcentral Sports. “It’s definitely something I’d love, I’d be interested in. I’ve loved my time here. The guys are great. The team is young. They’re definitely going to be good for a while.”

Martinez’s impact during his seven weeks with the Diamondbacks was enormous even before his monumental performance on Monday night, when he became just the 18th player in baseball history to hit four home runs in a game.

For the past four years, Martinez has been one of the game’s more dangerous hitters. He figures to command a monster contract when he hits free agency this offseason, and his price tag seems to be going up by the day; his four home runs on Monday gave him 18 in 144 at-bats since the trade.

When the Diamondbacks landed him in a July 18 trade with the Detroit Tigers, the assumption was they were acquiring a pure rental bat. That still seems like--

ly to be the case, but when speaking with reporters last week, General Manager Mike Hazen left open the possibility of bringing Martinez back.

And from Martinez’s perspective, the Diamondbacks satisfy a primary requirement of his impending free-agent search.

“I think one of the most important things in my free agency is I want to be on a team that’s relevant – a team that’s good, a team that’s in it,” he said. “I don’t want to be on a team just because (they offer the most money). I want to be on a team that’s got a chance. That’s what’s fun. That’s what you play the game for.”

Martinez looks at the Diamondbacks’ roster and sees a collection of players in or approaching their prime years. He sees a club on the upswing. During the first three years of Martinez’s career, he was on 100-loss Astros teams in Houston. For the past 2 1/2 years, he was on Detroit Tigers teams that were on the fringe of the pennant race.

“I’ve lost a lot,” Martinez said. “I’m tired of it. It’s not fun. It’s fun coming to the ballpark when you’re winning.”

Still, there are financial realities that are hard to ignore. With right-hander Zack Greinke ($34 million), outfielder Yasmany Tomas ($13.5 million), first baseman Paul Goldschmidt ($11 million) and others under contract, the Diamondbacks already have some $60 million committed to next season.

They have another 11 players eligible for salary arbitration; should they all return, it would drive their payroll up around $100 million – or about where their payroll is this season – and that doesn’t account for the rest of the roster.

The Diamondbacks might also have to consider the cost of a potential extension for Goldschmidt, who has a club option for 2019 but can become a free agent the following year.

There’s no predicting the free-agent market, particularly when it comes to sluggers, some of whom have had trouble finding homes in recent years. But Martinez would seem to compare favorably to Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes, who received a four-year, $110 million deal last offseason.

Not only is he nearly two years younger than Cespedes, but Martinez also has been far more productive offensively over the past four seasons.

Still, Hazen didn’t agree with the notion that fitting Martinez into the future payroll situation would present a clear, significant challenge for the organization.

“Everything is a challenge in some way, but I wouldn’t rule anything out with what we have moving forward,” Hazen said. “It’s one of those things that we’re all 100 percent speculating on one way or the other. It’s not really something we’ve engaged in, so we haven’t put a ton of thought into it right now.

“We want to focus on what’s in front of us. We’ll have time to deal with those questions. I don’t know if this is necessarily the appropriate time or place given what we’re trying to do as a team.”

Martinez echoed that sentiment, calling it a decision that’s “far away.”

“I’m honestly not even worried about that right now,” he said. “I’m worried about tomorrow.”

Given his impending free agency, Martinez acknowledged he felt pressure entering the year, but he said he quickly found a way to frame his situation to ease the burden.

“I just said, ‘You know what? What’s the point of putting it on me?’ ” he said. “I’ve just got to do what I do every year.

“Everyone’s like, ‘You’ve got to do this. You’ve got to do that.’ I don’t have to do anything. I just have to go out there and be me. If I’m me, that’s good enough. That’s what I’ve been trying to do. Control what I can control. Study the pitchers, work hard, put the work in. That’s all I can control.”