
Following a relatively underwhelming season, Boston Red Sox hitter J.D Martinez could reportedly be traded off from the team. This is due mainly because of Martinez’s five-year $110 million deal being in its final season. Check out the best bookmakers for betting on baseball.
Amidst an 0-for-24 slump for the team and a dismal performance of 21 strikeouts and only 15 hits, things are not looking good for the hitter, with all signs pointing to the Red Sox keeping Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts and Trevor Story instead of Martinez following the struggles faced by the team this season.
The recent 7-2 win against the Brewers proved to be a salvaged victory over a dismal weekend. Martinez did a solid 2-for-4 at the plate, hitting an RBI and a double which seemingly broke the 0-for-24 slump the Red Sox has been in.
According to Martinez one of the reasons for the slump is the trading pressure that they’ve been having since coming back from the All-Star Break, he further said that “Everybody feels like it’s kind of fighting for your life, fighting to keep the band together. I think it might be what’s hurt us honestly. But, whatever. It is what it is.”
Martinez wishes to be remembered as a professional according to Boston Globe’s Jullian McWilliams and as “a guy who came through and did what he had to do. I didn’t just take a contract. I played it out. I take a lot of pride in that. I gave everything, my heart and soul to the Red Sox.”
Sunday’s game may have well been Martinez’s final game at Fenway as a Red Sox. The team is currently travelling to Houston for three-game series against the Astros that begins on Monday and won’t be back to Boston until August 9.
“As far as I know, I’m here,” Martinez said. “I’m not going to think anything otherwise. I want to make it as hard on Chaim [Bloom] as I can. And if we keep winning, I think we can do that.”
When asked by fans if he still expects to be with the Red Sox after Tuesday Martinez stated that it is unlikely unless the team started winning and a winning streak would make the player trade a difficult decision, stating that “Of course I want to be here, stay here. I’m a lot more comfortable here. I would prefer the club wins today, starts a winning streak, and makes it really hard on them.”
The Red Sox lost 13 out of their 16 matches and are currently sitting last place in American League East making the prospect of turnaround less likely as time passes, reality is starting to creep into the players.
Some opposing teams expect the trade return on Martinez to be minimal at best as the Red Sox looks to pay his salary, there are other players that would draw a more positive return including Christian Vázquez and Nathan Eovaldi.
Vázquez does not know whether Bloom believes in his team or not, “But I know of this club, [between] these walls, we believe in each other,” Vázquez said. “And I know we can do this together. We did it before. And we need to be together.”
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