MLB rumors: Red Sox make huge offer for J.D. Martinez
By Sean Sears
The Red Sox have long been rumored to have serious interest in slugger J.D. Martinez, but Buster Olney reports that Boston has an official offer on the table.
As the ESPN MLB insider announced on Twitter, the Red Sox offer to J.D. Martinez is “in the range of five years, $100 million.”
The 30-year-old Martinez had easily the best season of his career, mashing 45 home runs to go along with an impressive slash line of .303/.376/.690, splitting time between Detroit and Arizona in 2017. And while Martinez has always been an above average player, he seemed to find his power stroke with the Diamondbacks, clubbing 29 of his 45 home runs in the desert.
The Tigers moved Martinez at last season’s trade deadline, acquiring Dawel Lugo, Sergio Alcantara and Jose King, sending their slugging outfielder in his prime to Arizona to make a playoff push. Martinez had been one Detroit’s most consistent players, improving on his power numbers every year.
And for a team like the Red Sox, who are absolutely desperate to add power in their lineup, adding Martinez could be the piece that helps push their already All-Star-stuffed roster out of the first round of the playoffs. Boston, while still in the top ten of runs scored last season, ranked 27 in home runs last season.
However, the Red Sox do get on base decently well, ranking 11th in on-base percentage in 2017. Sliding Martinez to the middle of the order in front of guys like Mookie Betts and Dustin Pedroia wouldn’t hurt the Boston’s chances of scoring more runs in 2018.
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The market for Martinez has been essentially just the Red Sox as serious suitors, so it comes as no surprise the team is ready to pony up and sign the veteran outfielder. But on a five-year-deal, it’s not hard to envision Martinez and his contract becoming an issue in the future.
But Red Sox general manager Dave Dombrowski, former GM of the Tigers who signed Martinez to in Detroit in 2014, knows Martinez better than most. And with the potential power the veteran slugger would likely bring to the Red Sox, along with their rival Yankees adding Giancarlo Stanton to their lineup, it might be the only move they can make to improve their chances in 2018.