The Boston Red Sox and free agent outfielder J.D. Martinez have finally agreed to a contract. ESPN’s Pedro Gomez was first to report the signing and Jon Morosi of MLB Network first reported that the deal is for 5-years, $110 Million dollars.
It’s done. JD Martínez is a Red Sox.
— Pedro Gomez (@pedrogomezESPN) February 19, 2018
J.D. Martinez’s deal is $110 million over 5 years, sources say. Contract is front-loaded prior to opt-out. @MLBNetwork @MLB
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) February 19, 2018
Martinez, 30, is coming off the best season of his career. He split his time with the Detroit Tigers and Arizona Diamondbacks where he hit .303/.376/.690 with 45 home runs and 104 runs batted in. The Red Sox are hoping that Martinez will fill the offensive void that was left by David Ortiz.
The Arizona Diamondbacks were the other team considered to be in contention for Martinez. He specifically hit .302 with a 1.107 OPS and 29 homers in 62 games with them. They were optimistic that he would resign with them and help Paul Goldschmidt lead them to a National League West title.
New manager Alex Cora has said he wants Mookie Betts to hit leadoff and Andrew Benintendi to hit second, leaving the three-hole wide open for Martinez to provide some lineup protection for the two young outfielders.Martinez has primarily played the corner outfield spots during his career, but he’ll likely be the full-time designated hitter in Boston, pushing Hanley Ramirez into a possible platoon at first base with Mitch Moreland.
