J.D. Martinez is expected to be a free agent target for the Boston Red Sox as the top bat on the market but his price tag may lead them to pass.
We should have known from the moment J.D. Martinez switched agents. Once the top free agent on the market tied himself to Scott Boras the news was bound to be followed by reports of staggering contract demands. As much as the Boston Red Sox could use a bat like Martinez to anchor their lineup, at what point are they forced to walk away from the negotiating table?
If the latest reports are to be believed, Dave Dombrowski and the Red Sox front office may not even take a seat at that table.
ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reports that teams who have reached out regarding Martinez have been given the impression he is seeking a deal in the neighborhood of $200 million.
Teams that have reached out early on J.D. Martinez have gotten the impression Scott Boras is looking for something in the $200 million range.
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) November 8, 2017
That’s a head-spinning amount of money that would exclude most teams from even considering Martinez as a free agent target. Does that include the Red Sox?
They could certainly use him given their need for power following a season in which they were last in the American League in home runs. Martinez is coming off a monster year in which he hit .303 with a 1.066 and 45 home runs in time split between the Detroit Tigers and Arizona Diamondbacks.
If Boston wants to add a power threat this winter without giving up both a boatload of money and assets (looking at you, Giancarlo Stanton), Martinez is their best bet.