ESPN’s Olney: Red Sox offered Martinez deal in range of $100 million
Jan 17, 2018, 12:20 PM | Updated: 11:53 pm
Arizona Diamondbacks right fielder J.D. Martinez bounces a ball off his bat before Game 1 against the Los Angeles Dodgers in a baseball National League Division Series in Los Angeles, Friday, Oct. 6, 2017. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
A standoff between the Boston Red Sox and free agent J.D. Martinez is unsurprisingly about the money. Just how far apart the team and slugger are from an agreement wasn’t known until Wednesday.
Boston offered the outfielder a five-year deal worth about $100 million, reports ESPN’s Buster Olney. In other words, the Red Sox are offering half of what Martinez’s agent Scott Boras was seeking for his client when he entered free agency.
Olney’s report confirms what FanRag Sports Jon Heyman reported regarding an ongoing stalemate between the Red Sox and Martinez.
Nonetheless, $100 million is still a generous contract for Martinez, who slashed .302/.376/.690 in 62 games for the Arizona Diamondbacks last year.
It would be the biggest offer of the winter, and right in the range of Justin Upton’s contract; Upton is considered a reasonable comp by some folks in the industry.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) January 17, 2018
From the D-backs’ perspective, the news is intriguing.
RELATED: A scenario in which the D-backs bring back J.D. Martinez
Arizona is still hopeful it can find a way to free up money for Martinez, Heyman reported last week. The D-backs don’t have the same amount of money available as Boston, but competing against the Red Sox is obviously easier if they are offering $20 million per season rather than $30 million or more.
In 2017, Martinez scored 47 runs, hit 65 RBIs and smacked 29 home runs for the Diamondbacks after they acquired him in a midseason trade with the Detroit Tigers.
The 30-year-old is one of the best players on the free agent market, though his age is likely limiting his options in terms of longterm contracts.
He is joined by Eric Hosmer, Mike Moustakas and Jake Arrieta among the biggest names yet to sign new deals this winter.
