JD Martinez pays Red Sox fans ultimate compliment with trade talk looming

With trade talks running rampant, J.D. Martinez took time to say thank you to Boston Red Sox fans.

The MLB trade deadline is approaching, and the Boston Red Sox are a team expected to move some of their veteran players. One of them is J.D. Martinez, who the team signed to a big contract back in 2018 and set to become a free agent at the end of the season.

Ahead of the trade deadline, Martinez took the time to say thanks to the Red Sox fanbase, saying he appreciates “the love” and “the constant energy,” and that he will miss it if he is to get traded.

Below is a clip of Martinez’s interview with NESN, courtesy of Twitter account “Red Sox Stats.”

J.D. Martinez thanks Red Sox fans ahead of MLB trade deadline

Boston has had a tough season leading into the trade deadline. Entering the All-Star break, they did not win a single series against any of the AL East foes. They then a disastrous series against the Toronto Blue Jays upon their return from the break, as they got outscored 40-10 in the three-game span.

On July 30, the New York Post’s Jon Heyman tweeted out that the Red Sox were “listening on veterans,” listing Martinez, pitcher Nathan Eovaldi, and catcher Christian Vazquez. The thing they all have in common is that their contracts expire at the end of the season.

This season, Martinez is slashing .288/.354/.462 while recording nine home runs, 40 RBI, and 98 hits through 87 games. Martinez won the World Series in 2018 and was named to the All Star Game in four of his five years with Boston.

Whether he gets traded or not, Martinez wanted to take the time to thank Red Sox fans.