Red Sox contract situation with J.D. Martinez comes with good and bad

The Red Sox contract situation with J.D. Martinez is certainly a point of discussion. What are the possible good and bad scenarios?

The iconic American advice maven Dear Abby often used the term “Are you better off with or without him” and clearly to any sane Red Sox fan, you are better off with J.D. Martinez. But if Martinez decides to opt-out there are other scenarios that could fall into place.

Martinez is certainly not on a track to match his spectacular offensive production of 2018. Martinez has appeared in 56 games this season and has 12 home runs, 33 RBI, and a .296 batting average. Flashback to 2018 and at the same 56 game juncture, it was 18/47/.322. Martinez eventually led the American League in RBI (130) and Total Bases (358) and finished fourth in the MVP race.

There are good and bad factors that can be filtered out of Martinez’s offensive reduction. To the Captain Obvious among us, the bad is it hurts the team. Martinez is a key cog in the offense of 2018 and less so this season as attaining 30+ home runs and 100 RBI may be drifting away.

Martinez has an opt-out clause within his contract for after the 2019 season and one for the next two contract years. Martinez, if he chooses to remain in Boston for 2020, will be gifted $23.750 million. If his “numbers” project as they are now trending, his market value will certainly not approach what they would with a statistical match of 2018. That would solve the Martinez issue at least for 2020. Somewhat of a mutual win-win situation.

Baseball is notorious for strange and rather questionable contract decisions and the Red Sox may not lead the parade, but they are certainly in the front row. Pablo Sandoval, Rusney Castillo, and Carl Crawford all luxuriate in millionaire status over managements fiscal generosity or the proverbial “they signed him for that much?” And that mentality reverberates in baseball.

Another team could simply measure risk versus reward and fork out a new and improved four or five-year deal for Martinez. Good for Martinez and certainly bad for the Red Sox as the batting order has a gaping hole. Martinez may be down from last year, but he is not baseball flotsam.

However, even within the bad, there is good and the good is that the Red Sox now would have $62 million available elsewhere since that is the contract value through 2022. With Mookie Betts on tap, I could have an inkling to just where management may decide to toss that money.

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The Red Sox have a long tradition of seeking out and somehow getting a dominant right-handed power bat. This tradition measures from Jimmie Foxx to Manny Ramirez with Martinez being the latest. The Red Sox could also explore short term free agent options to plug the gap. What about internal?

Xander Bogaerts is young, signed, plays a key position, and his simply killing the ball this season as he did last season. The question regarding Bogaerts is why the rangy right-handed hitter isn’t slugging more home runs? I think that question will soon be rendered moot.

Opportunity knocks and it has for Michael Chavis thanks to the unfortunate circumstances surrounding Dustin Pedroia. Chavis has now returned to earth regarding his production, but the home run potential is clearly on display. Can Bobby Dalbec do the same?

What if Martinez goes on a rampage for the next few months and those magical numbers accelerate? Then you have certainly a good for Martinez as the Red Sox would most certainly be in a situation that is dicey at best. Do you fork over another five-year deal? Do you do a Craig Kimbrel and let him walk.

No matter what the situation with Martinez the Red Sox management will eventually manage to move on as they have in other contract situations, retirements, and injuries. When stars have left the team simply has not collapsed.