J.D. Martinez will not be opting out of his five-year, $110M contract that he signed before the 2018 season. The slugger will stay with Boston in the final year of his contract, according to Alex Speier of The Boston Globe.
Martinez, who had an elite 2018 and 2019, slowed down quite a bit in the shortened 2020 season but picked up the pace again in 2021. In his four years with the club, he’s hit .297/.369/.518 with 114 homers and a 138 wRC+, tallying two shy of half a thousand games played.
The 34-year-old outfielder who usually plays DH slashed .286/.349/.548 with 28 homers and a 128 wRC+ this season, to go along with a slash line of .344/.447/.668, three homers and a 201 wRC+ in nine games during Boston’s ’21 postseason run.
This also could have major implications on whether or not Kyle Schwarber returns to Boston. After declining an option of $11.5M, Schwarber seeks a larger contract and with Martinez returning, the Sox might not want the problem of having two designated hitters on one team.
(Photo of J.D. Martinez by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images)