Red Sox: Weighing the pros/cons of signing free agent J.D. Martinez

J.D. Martinez is the top power bat available on the free agent market but is he worth the price it will take for the Boston Red Sox to sign him?

We all know that the Boston Red Sox have a need for a power bat to anchor their lineup and are fortunate enough to have owners willing to dip into luxury tax territory to find one. J.D. Martinez is the best hitter on the free agent market so naturally, he should be the top target.

Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Martinez is undoubtedly a great hitter but he’s not without his flaws. As with any important decision, we must weigh the pros and cons to determine if signing Martinez would be worthwhile.

It’s easy for fans to say the Red Sox should splurge on the best available player, yet that doesn’t necessarily mean it makes sense from a business perspective. As much as Boston’s brass wants to bring home another World Series trophy, make no mistake that they are still running a business. Throwing money blindly at the top available free agent at a position of need is how we ended up with Pablo Sandoval.

Martinez would certainly add more home runs to the Red Sox lineup but does that offset the risks or make him worth the contract he’ll demand? To find out, we’ll break down his strengths and weaknesses to assess what Martinez should be worth.