The Boston Red Sox have made an offer to JD Martinez, but many believe it is on the low side.
The Hot Stove seems to have finally turned on, but the Boston Red Sox are still not pretty idle. The Boston Red Sox and super-agent Scott Boras have been in a stalemate for the last month or so, debating the terms of JD Martinez‘s upcoming deal.
Boston made an offer to Martinez a few weeks back, but nothing was concrete on the deal. There were reports that the deal was only five years.
So on Tuesday, Buster Olney confirmed this by giving some of the terms of the contract.
Source: Boston's offer to J.D. Martinez is in the range of five years, $100 million.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) January 17, 2018
Just off first glance, the offer appears to be a little low. Martinez is the premier slugger this off-season, and was asking for somewhere around $200 million. For him to only get half of that from the team that is his top suitor is a little weird.
Now, this could be a lowball offer from Dave Dombrowski in hopes to spark some dialogue. Dombrowski has given out huge contracts in the past, but he has been slow playing Boras this year.
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Dombrowski knows that Martinez’s options are limited because the free agency bonanza next year. The San Francisco Giants are out of the market for Martinez after a few trades. The Arizona Diamondbacks do not have enough money at the moment to sign him either.
The Red Sox are the only true suitor for Martinez right now, and Dombrowski knows that.
But let’s be honest: JD Martinez is not going to accept this contract.
The 30-year old is coming off a season in which he led the majors in slugging percentage and ranked third with 45 home runs. Martinez has been a stud for the last few seasons, and wants his payday. He is not going to get $200 million, but something around $150 million seems reasonable for a slugger of his caliber.
This is a smart tactic by the Red Sox to start the negotiations low, in order to settle at a lower price.
Dombrowski has also recently said that he is content with the team as it is currently constructed. He is not in a situation where he believes he needs to get Martinez.
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If the former Diamondback really wants to play in Boston, it is going to be for a cheaper price than he wants.
If negotiations continue to pick up, make sure you come back to BoSox Injection for all updates!