5 players who won't be back with the Boston Red Sox in 2020

5 players who won’t be back with the Boston Red Sox in 2020

TORONTO, ON - SEPTEMBER 10: Mookie Betts #50 of the Boston Red Sox rounds third base after hitting a home run in the first inning during a MLB game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on September 10, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /

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Mandatory Credit: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images /

4. DH J.D. Martinez

Like many of his teammates, Martinez’s 2019 campaign will not be as good as his 2018 was. But he’s still in line to hit over .300 (.305 entering Saturday) with over 30 home runs (35 going into Saturday) and 100 RBI (104 entering Saturday with an OPS over .900 (.939 entering Saturday).

Martinez has a $23.75 million option for next year, with the same opt-out right after next year and 2021. In certain lights, a proverbial sign-and-trade if he opts in could be in play and those future options are a tradable asset for Boston. Or Martinez could just opt out cleanly after the season, and try to get one last big, multi-year, completely guaranteed payday at age-32.

The Red Sox may be secretly hoping Martinez opts out, even if signing him back at a cheaper rate won’t be on the table at all (he is a Scott Boras client), if only to make any possible payroll reduction way easier this winter. But a creative move to trade him if he does opt in might be something Dombrowski’s replacement thinks of, and has the intestinal fortitude to execute.

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