Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low 41F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph..
Partly cloudy early followed by cloudy skies overnight. Low 41F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph.
Updated: March 14, 2022 @ 8:53 pm
North Andover, Massachusetts
J.D. Martinez, right, celebrates with Kyle Schwarber after hitting a three-run home run last season against Cleveland. Martinez said Monday that he hopes to spend the rest of his career in Boston.
J.D. Martinez, right, celebrates with Kyle Schwarber after hitting a three-run home run last season against Cleveland. Martinez said Monday that he hopes to spend the rest of his career in Boston.
Since J.D. Martinez first signed with Boston prior to the 2018 season, the veteran slugger has had three separate opportunities to opt out and try his luck on the open market.
All three times Martinez decided to stick around, and now he is set to return for the final year of his original five-year contract.
If he has his way, he’d like to stick around a lot longer than that too.
“I would love it,” Martinez told reporters on Monday. “I’ve expressed where I stand with the team and I would love to finish my career here, but that’s not up to me.”
For the first time in a while Martinez is not in control of his immediate future. The 34-year-old slugger is coming off a strong 2021 in which he batted .286 with 28 home runs and 99 RBI, but after this upcoming season he will become a free agent. Given his age and the hefty price he will likely receive on the open market, it’s not clear if the Red Sox would bring him back.
That wouldn’t necessarily be bad for Martinez or his bank account. With the National League having just adopted the designated hitter, impact bats like his are in high demand. Had Martinez opted out and become a free agent this offseason he would likely be in line for a big payday, but even with that being the case Martinez said he doesn’t have any regrets and that coming back was “an easy decision.”
“I think I made the right decision personally and I’m excited to be here,” Martinez said. “I think this team has a chance to win again and that’s what I want to do. I want to win. I’m starting to go later on in my career and trying to win is the most fun.”
Martinez said Boston has been a good fit and that he gets along great with his teammates, the coaches, front office staff and everyone else. He said the high pressure environment works for him too because “nobody is harder on myself than me,” despite some initial concern from friends and family when he first signed with Boston.
Beyond his personal situation, Martinez said he believes the universal DH will be good for baseball as a whole, and that it should hopefully make the American and National Leagues more equitable.
“I think it’s leveled the playing field, I think for pitchers, for hitters, everyone,” he said. “Now you can judge a hitter or pitcher strictly by their numbers and not by the league they’re playing in, which I think is good for baseball all around.”
Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom addressed the media for the first time post-lockout on Monday morning, saying the past few days have been among the busiest of his career and that the club is focused on filling out its roster ahead of the upcoming season.
While he emphasized the club’s flexibility in terms of being able to make any type of move, big or small, he said adding a right-handed bat and more bullpen help are top priorities.
“The nice thing about the way our roster sits right now is we’re in a position where we’re able to accommodate a lot of different types of talented players,” Bloom said. “Obviously there are some positions where we’re pretty well set and pretty well spoken for, but for the most part we can accommodate good talent if it makes sense for us.”
Bloom did not rule out the possibility that the Red Sox could still bring back slugger Kyle Schwarber, who bats left-handed, or that the team might make another move for starting pitching. Prior to the lockout the Red Sox acquired starters Rich Hill and Michael Wacha, as well as James Paxton, who is recovering from Tommy John surgery and isn’t expected to be available until midseason at the earliest.
“There is never a point where you’re not looking to add starting pitching in this game,” Bloom said. “But with what we were able to do before the lockout, we do like who we have, we think we have a lot of good options, and our depth in terms of who is coming up, who’s ready and or close to ready in Triple-A, we’re in a better position than we’ve been in.”
Another possible option for the rotation is Garrett Whitlock, who broke out as a rookie last season in a multi-inning relief role before eventually establishing himself as the team’s closer in the playoffs. Bloom said they acquired Whitlock as a starter and that his role evolved in part due to his recovery from Tommy John and in part because the team needed him in the bullpen role. Going forward they see Whitlock as a starter and that they hope to get more innings out of him, whether as a starter or in a hybrid bullpen weapon.
Asked about the possibility of adding Japanese outfielder Seiya Suzuki, Bloom declined to comment specifically but reiterated that they hope to add a position player, which could include another outfielder.
On the subject of signing Rafael Devers to an extension, Bloom said his focus has been on adding outside talent over the past few days but that they view Devers as a cornerstone player. He also said that the cancellation of the Rule 5 Draft is likely a positive from a front office perspective, given how busy things are and how little opportunity clubs have had to scout potential selections.
The Red Sox have reportedly made their first big league signings post-lockout.
According to multiple reports, the Red Sox plan to sign left-handed relief pitchers Matt Strahm and Jake Diekman. Fansided’s Robert Murray and MassLive’s Chris Cotillo were the first to report the signings, respectively.
Strahm is coming off an injury-plagued 2021, with knee injuries limiting him to only six appearances for the San Diego Padres. Strahm pitched 6.2 innings with an 8.10 ERA, but prior to last year he’d put together a solid track record in the bullpen.
In his six-year big league career, the 30-year-old Strahm has a 3.81 ERA in 157 appearances, including a 2.61 ERA in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and a 2.05 ERA in 2018. In 2019 the Padres attempted to convert him to a starter, but after he posted a 5.42 ERA leading into July moved him back to the bullpen, after which point he had a 3.04 ERA the rest of the season.
Strahm relies primarily on his low-90s fastball and slider, but also occasionally works in a curveball and changeup. He is known for his control and has been effective against both righties and lefties. He has reportedly signed for one-year, $3 million.
Diekman projects as a potential late-inning option, having enjoyed a strong 2021 with the Oakland Athletics. The 35-year-old had a 3.86 ERA over 60.2 innings while recording 83 strikeouts, good for 31.7% of the batters he faced.
According to Statcast, Diekman also ranks 96th percentile in whiffs and 10th percentile in barrels across MLB, meaning there are few better at getting swing and misses and avoiding solid contact. He also has good splits against both righties and lefties, but he is also prone to allowing a lot of walks. The terms of his contract aren’t yet known.
The addition of Strahm and Diekman bolsters the bullpen and adds significant competition among the club’s lefty relievers. The Red Sox are returning Josh Taylor as the top lefty from last year, plus Darwinzon Hernandez and Austin Davis. It is unlikely all five will make the Opening Day roster, adding pressure on Hernandez and Davis in particular.
Two former Red Sox relievers have also reportedly signed deals with other teams, bringing their time with Boston to an end. Righty Adam Ottavino reportedly signed a one-year, $4 million with the New York Mets and lefty Martin Perez has reportedly signed with the Texas Rangers, also for one-year, $4 million.
With big league camp set to begin on Sunday, the Red Sox filled out their spring training roster by adding additional 12 non-roster invitees.
Joining the big league club for spring training will be catcher Kole Cottam; infielders Triston Casas, Ryan Fitzgerald, David Hamilton and Christian Koss; outfielder Franchy Cordero; left-handed pitcher Chris Murphy and right-handed pitchers Durbin Feltman, Geoff Hartlieb, Kaleb Ott and John Schreiber.
The most notable invitee is Casas, one of the club’s top prospects who is expected to factor into the big league equation by the end of 2022. Hamilton is another interesting add, as he is one of the prospects the Red Sox acquired in the Hunter Renfroe-Jackie Bradley Jr. trade just before the lockout.
Overall the Red Sox have added 23 non-roster invitees, with the full list as follows:
The Red Sox announced their revised spring training schedule on Friday, with big league camp set to officially open on Sunday before the team plays a 19-game Grapefruit League season starting March 17.
Rather than face the full Grapefruit League, the Red Sox will play a regionalized schedule to minimize travel. The club will play exhibitions against the Minnesota Twins, Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, Baltimore Orioles, and Tampa Bay Rays, and the Red Sox will host the Rays in their spring training opener at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers, Florida.
The club also announced that starting this Saturday the Fenway South Player Development Complex will be open to the public, with free access from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. daily through March 16. Fans can enter through the West Entrance, and ballpark tours will also be available between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Boston’s full spring training schedule is as follows. Game times will be announced at a later date.
{{description}}
Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.
Home delivery and Digital Access customers of The Eagle-Tribune get deals for restaurants, hotels, attractions and other businesses, locally and across the country.
Your guide to local shopping, eating and living in and around North Andover.
Emilio Delgado, the actor and singer who for 45 years was a warm and familiar presence in children’s lives and a rare Latino face on American television as fix-it shop owner Luis on “Sesame Street,” died Thursday.
Singer and reality TV star Traci Braxton — who appeared with her sisters and mother in the series “Braxton Family Values” — died of cancer, her family said Saturday. She was 50.
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles.
Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox.
First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
