The Red Sox are paying for letting J.D. Martinez walk
Let me get this out of the way. The Red Sox offense is not the issue. It'd be nice if they were more consistent at times, but they're not fifth in runs scored by accident. This is a great unit with the potential for even more with Story returning soon and Rafael Devers hopefully heating up. That doesn't mean they made the right choice involving J.D. Martinez.
Letting Martinez go in free agency felt like a simple decision. He had such a disappointing season in 2022, posting a .790 OPS with 16 home runs, but he's revived his career with the Dodgers after signing a one-year deal with them.
Martinez is hitting .255/.304/.576 with 23 home runs and 63 RBI. He has a 130 WRC+ and has been everything Los Angeles could've possibly hoped for. I won't say he's vintage J.D., but he's been awesome.
Martinez would be leading this Red Sox team in home runs and OPS while ranking second in RBI. It's not like Boston has gotten no production out of the DH spot this season. Justin Turner has been more than adequate in that role. However, J.D. Martinez as the DH would've taken this offense to another level.