J.D. Martinez not opting out of contract with Red Sox
According to a source, he has decided to not opt of his five-year contract with the Red Sox that will pay him $23.75 million in 2020.
J.D. Martinez, whose meticulous approach to every at-bat made him one of baseball’s best hitters the past few years, has decided to not opt of his five-year contract with the Red Sox that will pay him $23.75 million in 2020, according to a league source.
The decision means the Red Sox will have a player who hit over .300 and more than 35 home runs each of the past two seasons back in the lineup, but complicates matters as the team tries to move toward its goal of getting the payroll below the luxury tax threshold of $208 million in 2020.
BREAKING: J.D. Martinez will not opt out of his contract with the Boston Red Sox, sources tell ESPN.
By remaining with the Red Sox, Martinez can earn $62.5M over the next three years. He also has an opt-out clause after the 2020 season.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 4, 2019
Martinez, whose full $23.75 million salary will count toward the luxury tax figure for the Red Sox in 2020, also has opt-outs after the 2020 and 2021 seasons.
Former president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski signed Martinez to a five-year, $110 million contract during spring training in 2018, and Martinez was one of the key pieces as the Red Sox won a team-record 108 games and then the World Series. He hit .330 with a 1.031 OPS while also driving in 130 runs and hitting 43 homers. He ranked second in baseball in both homers and batting average, and led the league in RBIs.
Though the Red Sox missed the playoffs in 2019 and Martinez didn’t replicate his 2018 campaign, his numbers were still formidable. He hit .304 with 36 homers and a .939 OPS and drove in 104 runs. Martinez’s home run total, OPS, and batting average all ranked in the top 10 in the American League.
“I don’t think he cares about the numbers,’’ Red Sox manager Alex Cora said in August. “I think he cares about the quality of at-bats. We know on a daily basis he will give you quality at-bats.’’
The grind-them-out at-bats paid dividends for Martinez and had a trickle-down effect as he became a resource for teammates to lean on for advice at the plate. Martinez became something of an extension to the coaching staff.
“I remember last year, it was his first year and everyone wanted to go to J.D. for advice,’’ shortstop Xander Bogaerts said. “Even me a couple times. Whenever stuff isn’t going right, you either go to the hitting coach or you go to J.D. He’s definitely changed a lot of us on this team with the mind-set and the advice. He’s definitely huge.’’
Martinez said during the All-Star break that his agent, Scott Boras, would be a key voice he would listen to regarding his future.
“I just listen to him,’’ Martinez said. “That’s what I pay him for. He gives me his opinion. He gives me his advice and it’s up to me after that to make my decision.’’
Martinez’s numbers at the plate are impressive, but his play in the outfield has been below average, which likely limits his market to American League teams. Since the start of 2016, he has posted minus-39 defensive runs saved in the outfield, and in 2019 he was minus-7 for the Red Sox. His ultimate zone rating was minus-4.8.
Martinez’s status was one of the two biggest offseason story lines for the Red Sox, along with the question of Mookie Betts’s future. Red Sox president Sam Kennedy has said it would be tough to keep both All-Stars as the team attempts to get under the luxury tax threshold.
Martinez’s tenure in Boston benefited both sides.
“It’s been great,’’ Martinez said. “I came here and won a World Series. That was the goal. It’s been awesome.’’
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