J.D. Martinez opts into final year of Red Sox deal: Is that a good thing?

Boston Red Sox slugger J.D. Martinez opted into the final year of his deal. Is that a good thing for Boston, and what does it mean for Martinez?

Martinez is set to earn just under $20 million in the final year of his contract, which is more than he would’ve gotten on the open market. J.D.’s agent gave him good advice, as there were no better options than opting into the final year of his deal at this juncture.

At 35 years old, the odds of Martinez earning another long-term contract are slim. So, he’s taking things year by year, and instead betting on himself to replicated his numbers from last season in hopes of signing a short-term, but still multi-season contract somewhere after the 2022 campaign.

Red Sox: Did J.D. Martinez make the right decision?

Martinez had a .286/.349/.518, slash line in 2021, and played primarily designated hitter. With the universal DH likely coming to baseball after this offseason’s CBA negotiations, Martinez does have value on the open market.

Still, is J.D. the second coming of Nelson Cruz? Does he have that kind of power potential well into his late-30’s that he should’ve opted out of receiving close to $20 million, just for the chance at a multi-year deal?

Red Sox fans love Martinez, and his defense is suspect at this juncture. He’s basically a DH only, and with CBA negotiations upcoming this offseason, there’s plenty of uncertainty in the coming months. For Martinez to take the guarantee makes sense.

For the Red Sox, another year of Martinez guarantees a power source in the middle of the lineup. J.D. had 28 home runs last season.