Martinez leaning toward staying with Sox

If forced to decide now, J.D. Martinez said on Friday afternoon that he was leaning toward opting into the final two years of his contract with the Red Sox.

The 33-year-old is suffering through his most difficult season since prior to being released by the Astros in March 2014. Martinez’s OPS continues to decline following a sensational Boston debut in 2018. He was an American League Most Valuable Player candidate in that World Series year, slashing .330/.402/.629 at the [...]

If forced to decide now, J.D. Martinez said on Friday afternoon that he was leaning toward opting into the final two years of his contract with the Red Sox.

The 33-year-old is suffering through his most difficult season since prior to being released by the Astros in March 2014. Martinez’s OPS continues to decline following a sensational Boston debut in 2018. He was an American League Most Valuable Player candidate in that World Series year, slashing .330/.402/.629 at the heart of a lethal offensive attack.

Martinez is down to .217/.293/.389 through 57 games in this unusual 2020. He entered this three-game series with the Braves carrying an on-base percentage just 18 points higher than Jose Peraza and a slugging percentage 30 points lower than Jackie Bradley Jr. A postseason phone call with his agent, Scott Boras, will help Martinez determine whether or not to put himself back on the open market.

"I don’t know," Martinez said. "I have to talk to Scott. But I think given the situation and everything, I’m probably not leaning that way.

"That’s the thing — I've got to talk to Scott. He’s the jefe (boss). You’ve got to call up Scott. He’s got the answers. Annoy him. Call him. Bug him."

Martinez signed a five-year, $110-million deal with the Red Sox three years ago. The contract contained opt-out clauses following the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Martinez elected to remain in Boston after last year, as his OPS dipped from 1.031 to .939.

Martinez has just three games against Atlanta to improve on a current OPS of just .682. His contract counts for $22 million annually against the club’s Competitive Balance Tax threshold, but Martinez will be taking a pay cut in real dollars over the next two seasons. His front-loaded deal called for salaries of $23.75 million in the first three years and $19.375 million in the last two.

"It’s been very frustrating," Martinez said. "I think that’s been obvious. I think everybody has kind of seen it. I’ve sucked. I haven’t been very good.

"I feel like I’m not in the boat alone. I feel like there a lot of good players and a lot of really, really good talent out there that’s kind of had the same season — if not worse — than me. I think it’s just a very weird year.

"You’re expected to perform at an elite level when there’s an entire pandemic going on in the world. It’s not really an excuse, but it’s tough."

Martinez carries a pair of equipment bags with him on road trips. The first is the standard black duffel issued to all Red Sox players that carries jerseys, pants, gloves, cleats and more. The second is Martinez’s own personal green duffel with some tools of his regimented trade — tennis balls, frisbees and other contraptions he employs in the batting cage.

Those routines have been disrupted considerably by health and safety protocols adopted in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Martinez now has limited time at the ballpark and less of a chance to groove in an improved swing. Major League Baseball has also imposed video restrictions to combat electronic sign-stealing scandals that ultimately saw Houston and Boston formally punished.

"Guys build their routines," Martinez said. "They’ve been doing those routines for years. It’s kind of just repetitive saying the same thing over and over again. It’s been stripped from them and you’re kind of forced to adjust in an era where you can’t even leave the hotel room to go work on some stuff if you wanted to. It’s just kind of hanging with them and get back at it next year when we’re normal."

Martinez finished with a .650 OPS after 86 games with the Astros in 2013. He sought out hitting guru Craig Wallenbrock that offseason to rebuild his swing, and those changes resulted in a .912 OPS with the Tigers in 2014. Martinez said a couple of adjustments with his hips and a few minor tweaks should have him back where he needs to be for spring training in February.

"I can’t wait to get back to it," Martinez said. "That’s something we all talk about — everybody in here. Everybody in the league, really. We just want the norm again. We want to get back to normal.

"That’s not just baseball. That’s the world."

bkoch@providencejournal.com

On Twitter: @BillKoch25