Red Sox Rumors: J.D. Martinez is available in trade deadline talks

J.D. Martinez is rumored to be available if the Red Sox sell

The Boston Red Sox have fallen to the bottom of the AL East with the MLB trade deadline looming next week. Facing an uphill battle to reclaim a playoff spot with an injury-ravaged roster, the Red Sox might be forced to sell. While we shouldn’t expect a fire sale to completely blow up the roster, J.D. Martinez would be a prime candidate to be traded if Boston waives the white flag on the 2022 season.

Martinez is in the final year of his contract and will test free agency after the season. Despite another All-Star season in which he’s hitting .299 with a .843 OPS, the Red Sox haven’t shown much interest in retaining the 34-year-old beyond this season.

Boston has lost eight of their last 10 games and 14 of their last 18. Their downward spiral has made their playoff chances seem hopeless, although it’s fair to point out that they are only 3.5 games out of the third Wild Card spot. Injuries have left the lineup dangerously thin and crippled the rotation but if some of those players are able to return soon, the Red Sox could remain in the race with a few modest trade deadline upgrades.

According to ESPN’s Buster Olney, the Red Sox could take a unique approach to the trade deadline in which they both buy and sell. Even if they manage to inch their way closer to a Wild Card spot over the course of this week, other teams seem to believe that Martinez will still be available at the deadline.

“What I’m hearing from other teams is they think the Red Sox will at least be partial sellers,” said Olney. “Now, they’re kind of in a weird place. They’re among four teams vying for the last Wild Card spot. But you’ve seen in recent days, they’ve really struggled. A guy that other teams say is available is designated hitter J.D. Martinez. … The Red Sox could flip J.D. Martinez, maybe hang onto Xander Bogaerts if they feel like they have a shot to make the playoffs and replace Martinez with another designated hitter. So the Red Sox, as we get to the deadline, could be both buyers and sellers.”

Trading Martinez would seemingly be counterproductive to their goal of making the postseason. However, the void in the lineup created by his departure could be filled in another deal to acquire a younger player who is under control beyond this season. Trading for a big bat at first base would fill a position of need and replace at least a portion of Martinez’s production. Removing Martinez would allow the Red Sox to be more flexible with the DH role rather than having a one-dimensional veteran clogging the position.

The Red Sox could flip Martinez for a player who upgrades another position or a package of prospects that bolsters the depth of their farm system, enabling them to swing another deal to upgrade the major league roster.

At last year’s trade deadline, the Red Sox acquired Kyle Schwarber from the Washington Nationals in exchange for Aldo Ramirez, their No. 25 prospect at the time. Martinez would be in a similar position as a rental but considering his superior track record, he could bring back a more appealing return.

This scenario also ensures that the Red Sox acquire something of value in exchange for Martinez. If their payoff hopes slip further away and they don’t plan on re-signing him anyway, trading Martinez at the deadline is a must.

If the Red Sox fall further out of the race this week, we could see other players on expiring deals put on the table in trade talks. Nathan Eovaldi and Christian Vazquez are candidates if Boston fully commits to selling. Kike Hernandez, Michael Wacha, Rich Hill and Matt Strahm could also be options if they are deemed healthy enough to draw interest.

Chaim Bloom is attempting to balance the goals of building for the future while remaining competitive this year. Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers aren’t going anywhere since the Red Sox intend to make every effort to extend them. Players who aren’t viewed as a part of their long-term future are more expendable, a group that appears to include Martinez.