Throughout the most of the winter, the Boston Red Sox have watched key players disappear from the game.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow wants to make his imprint in the starting pitching market, but talks are on hold while Major League Baseball awaits the decision of Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto.
The Red Sox will most likely be idle until that last domino falls. In the meantime, more players keep joining the American League East.
The Toronto Blue Jays are said to have expressed interest in another important component of the Red Sox’s illustrious 2018 World Series team, not long after the Baltimore Orioles acquired closer Craig Kimbrel.
MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson said on Monday, “This roster needs its Brandon Belt, and the Blue Jays have interest in (J.D.) Martinez as a veteran run producer.” “Martinez isn’t slowing down and should be available on a two-year deal.”
Martinez played 113 games with the Los Angeles Dodgers last season, hitting.271 with 62 extra-base hits, including 33 home runs, 103 RBIs, and a.893 OPS (134 OPS+).
Prior to joining the Red Sox, the 36-year-old had a combined 135 OPS+ in five seasons, earning four All-Star selections. Since the 2020 season was cut short, he played in four All-Star Games.
The Blue Jays needed a designated hitter after taking a strong swing at Shohei Ohtani but eventually missing the mark. The one bright spot is that they may have added an impact bat since they forced Martinez to leave Los Angeles.
Although Breslow appeared to favor using the extra position in the lineup to give manager Alex Cora more options—getting players off their feet or maximizing the lineup defensively—rather than having a designated hitter on a regular basis, the Red Sox still need a right-handed slugger.
In the event that Breslow retracts his remarks from the GM Meetings, Justin Turner seems to have a better chance of winning the position.
Martinez was fantastic in his role with Boston, but it doesn’t seem like the Blue Jays will be pursuing a reunion.
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