3 biggest Boston Red Sox free agents and where they’ll sign
By Tim Boyle
2) Red Sox free agent J.D. Martinez will join a club on the rise
It’s an easy choice for the Red Sox to let J.D. Martinez walk. When they signed him as a free agent, they brought in an outfielder/DH who has turned more into the latter half. The Red Sox should move away from having any expensive DH-exclusive player. It can become a problem. They may have become too accustomed having David Ortiz around for all of those years where they believed Martinez would age just as well.
Martinez hasn’t as we have witnessed his power numbers go down drastically in 2022. He was still a productive hitter but more similar to many sluggers nearing the end. Injuries created a limitations on this sometimes underrated slugger.
There will be some great destinations for Martinez to land, though. Any club on the uptick should look at him as a one or two-year option to give their lineup some credibility. The Baltimore Orioles or even a return to the Arizona Diamondbacks could make sense for Martinez. He may, in fact, be the first veteran slugger to truly benefit from the universal DH. The whole league is open for him.
Martinez could potentially stick around a few more years as long as his health holds up. Is he the next Nelson Cruz to remain ageless and productive into his late 30s? The Red Sox got a lot from him. It’s time to turn the page.
Let’s have him landing with the Diamondbacks and their youthful team as the primary DH.