Slugger J. D. Martinez seems to have reached an agreement with the Boston Red Sox. According to American media, the 30-year-old signed a five-year contract in Boston. He’s supposed to collect up to 110 million dollars.
Martinez had finished the last season at the Arizona Diamondbacks and had beaten a total of 45 home runs.
The outfielder and the Red Sox had been circling for a few weeks already, as Martinez was looking for a high-end multi-year contract and the Red Sox, winners of the AL East in the last two years, were looking for more power for their lineup. However, Martinez was most recently upset about what he considered to be too low offers.
Now it seems that agreement has been reached. In the first two years Martinez is to collect 50 million dollars, after the second and third years both parties have an exit clause. In view of the Red Sox’s strong outfield, it could be used primarily as a designated hitter.
No other team in the American League had hit as few home runs last season as the Red Sox (168). Especially in view of the up-and-coming Yankees, who now have the two best homerun hitter of the past year under contract with Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge, the team had to upgrade.
Martinez had delivered the best year of his career in 2017 (45 HR, 104 RBI). The right-hander had been traded from the Detroit Tigers to the D’ backs during the season. He was the best slugger on the free agent market. The new season starts at the end of March.
This article was published without prior view by the Major League Baseball.