Red Sox: Past free agency mistakes make Dave Dombrowski cautious
By Sean Penney
Boston Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski was duped by agent Scott Boras before and can’t let it happen again.
When super-agent Scott Boras leads a high-profile client to the free agent market he tends to shoot for the moon. More often than not, he gets it. This may result in the player earning a massive contract that carries significant risk as to whether they will ever live up to the value of the deal. This is a potential disaster that the Boston Red Sox must avoid when negotiating with Boras’ client, J.D. Martinez.
Free agency opened with Boras floating the concept of an 8-year, $200 million deal for Martinez. Thus far, no team has come close to that massive offer. The Red Sox have reportedly offered Martinez a five year deal for an unspecified amount. We can bet on the average annual value being similar to what Boras claims his client is worth but the duration he’s seeking is unreasonable for a 30-year old corner outfielder whose defensive limitations make him best suited for the designated hitter role.
The Red Sox aren’t willing to give him eight years. No team is going to go as high as eight years, right? Martinez is undoubtedly the top hitter on the market, coming off a season in which he blasted 45 home runs and led the majors in slugging percentage. He’s a prime target for a number of teams but the red flags he carries – age, defense, health – should make teams cautious of committing a long-term deal to the free agent slugger.
Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski knows this all too well.