5 trade deadline destinations for Red Sox DH J.D. Martinez

Red Sox DH J.D. Martinez should draw trade interest from these teams

There is a distinct possibility that we are seeing the final days of J.D. Martinez in a Boston Red Sox uniform.

According to Alex Speier of The Boston Globe, Martinez expressed uncertainty regarding his future with the club. When asked if he would still be a member of the Red Sox after the trade deadline passes on August 2, Martinez grimly responded that he doesn’t expect to be here “if we don’t start winning.”

Boston won Thursday’s finale with the Cleveland Guardians to split the four-game series and climb back to a .500 record. However, they are still sitting at the bottom of the AL East and 3.5 games out of a Wild Card spot.

Martinez is in the final year of his contract and the Red Sox haven’t shown much interest in locking up the 34-year-old beyond this season. If Boston concedes that they must sell at the deadline, Martinez is an obvious candidate to be on the move.

There have been rumors that the Red Sox will dance between the line of buying and selling at the deadline, dealing away veterans on expiring deals to stockpile controllable young talent while adding pieces that can help them push for a playoff spot this year. Martinez could be traded regardless of Chaim Bloom’s strategy at the deadline.

While his home run power has mysteriously declined, Martinez is still having a strong season, hitting .293 with an .828 OPS. His paltry nine home runs has been partially offset by 30 doubles, which leads the team and ranks fourth in the majors.

Martinez should draw plenty of interest if the Red Sox make him available. Here are five contenders who could use an upgrade at the DH position.

Red Sox could trade Martinez to the Cleveland Guardians

Cleveland is only one game ahead of the Red Sox after splitting a series in Boston this week but they are 2.5 games out of the Wild Card and they lead the pack among teams chasing the final spot. They are also only two games behind the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central division so they should be looking to buy.

The Guardians are 29th in the majors with 73 wRC+ and -0.8 WAR from the DH position. The role has primarily been filled by Franmil Reyes, who is hitting .216 with a .618 OPS. Reyes has impressive raw power that has produced a pair of 30+ homer seasons in his young career but he only has nine so far this season with a career-low .360 SLG and .144 ISO.

Cleveland’s offense is middle of the pack in runs scored with a plainly average 100 wRC+ and .308 wOBA. They need a big bat to pair with MVP candidate Jose Ramirez if they intend to be a legitimate contender.

Martinez is a proven commodity who upgrades their DH spot while allowing them to pick their spots with the struggling Reyes, who occasionally sees time in the outfield and can provide some depth at a thin corner position.

Red Sox could trade Martinez to the San Diego Padres

The National League finally embracing the DH has opened more possibilities for a defensively-challenged veteran like Martinez. The Padres aren’t shy about swinging big trades in an effort to keep up with the juggernaut at the top of their division. San Diego is rumored to be a potential frontrunner in the Juan Soto sweepstakes. If they miss out on Soto, Martinez would be an appealing fallback plan.

The Padres hopelessly trail the Los Angeles Dodgers by 12 games in the NL West but they hold the second spot in a tight NL Wild Card race. With star shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. nearing a return from a broken wrist, San Diego might view themselves as a strong contender with a few deadline upgrades.

Designated hitter is one spot where the Padres could use an upgrade. They rank 25th in the majors with 87 wRC+ and -0.6 WAR from that position.

Luke Voit has been a disappointment in his first season in San Diego, hitting .222 with a .722 OPS. After leading the league with 22 homers during the shortened 2020 season, Voit’s home run total was cut in half last year despite an identical number of at-bats to the previous season. He currently has 12 home runs in 78 games this year with a career-low .408 SLG.

Martinez would provide an upgrade to an offense that has been middle of the pack this season but could trend toward elite by adding him plus the return of Tatis.

Red Sox could trade Martinez to the New York Mets

The Mets have already blown well over the luxury tax threshold and owner Steve Cohen appears to have no qualms with paying the bill if it gives his team a chance to win a championship. While some contenders might be hesitant to add the prorated salary owed to Martinez for the remainder of this season, the Mets are one club who wouldn’t blink.

New York has a three-game lead over the reigning champion Atlanta Braves in the NL East and can safely pencil themselves into a playoff spot with at least a Wild Card berth. The Mets would certainly prefer to retain one of the league’s top-two records to skip the first round of the playoffs and they will need to fortify their lineup to challenge the elite teams on the October stage.

The Mets have a top-10 offense by many metrics but they aren’t quite elite. They can contend with anyone in a playoff series if their pitching staff is healthy but they are still searching for another bat to lengthen their lineup.

The DH is the position where they need the most help. New York has cycled through a few options with lackluster results, ranking 27th in the majors with 80 wRC+ and 28th with -0.8 WAR.

J.D. Davis has seen the bulk of the DH duties but he’s hitting .236 with a .666 OPS and only three home runs. The Mets appear to have given up on Dominic Smith and they already sent Robinson Cano packing, eating the remaining $37.6 million on his contract.

Pete Alonso has spent 21 games as a DH. The Mets might prefer to find a defensive upgrade who can share first base with Alonso and allow their star to get some rest by serving as the DH more down the stretch, in which case they would be hesitant to lock Martinez into that role. If their priority is to upgrade the offense, they won’t find many options more appealing than Martinez unless they plan to empty the farm for Soto.

Red Sox could trade Martinez to the Los Angeles Dodgers

The Red Sox have a long history of trading star talent to the Dodgers so naturally, they land at the top of the list. Los Angeles has swung deadline deals for Manny Machado, Yu Darvish, Max Scherzer and Trea Turner in recent years. They still have a strong farm system with chips to offer as they make a push for their first title in decades that wasn’t earned during a COVID-shortened season.

We tend to think of the Dodgers as a stacked team overloaded with depth but that hasn’t been the case this year. Max Muncy is hitting .158, Cody Bellinger is hitting .205, and they both are slugging well under .400 this season. Chris Taylor’s injury has forced the Dodgers to rely on guys like Trayce Thompson and Zach McKinstry in the outfield.

The DH hasn’t been the glaring weakness that it has been for other teams on this list, as the Dodgers are 9th in the majors  at the position with 112 wRC+ and 11th with 1.5 WAR. That’s partially due to Justin Turner spending nearly half his time in that role though. Turner is having a down year by his standards but he’s still a solid bat.

When they aren’t using Turner at DH, the Dodgers are utilizing the underwhelming Edwin Rios or journeymen such as Jake Lamb and Hanser Alberto. If Turner can spend more time at third base, limiting playing time for the struggling Muncy, the Dodgers could replace their collection of lightweights sharing the DH spot with Martinez.

The Dodgers already have the league’s best offense but they still have holes. Martinez’s right-handed bat would help balance a lineup that often starts at least four lefties. This team is already loaded with star power but recent history shows they won’t hesitate to add more at the trade deadline.