The Major League Baseball free-agent market has been unbelievably stagnant so far, and J.D. Martinez reportedly still is waiting for the contract he believes he deserves.
There have been multiple reports over the past 24 hours detailing Martinez’s waiting game with the Boston Red Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks, and it doesn’t appear the 30-year-old slugger is going to be coming off the market anytime soon.
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported Tuesday, citing sources, that Martinez “is fed up with the Red Sox’s inflexibility and would rather sign somewhere else.”
That, however, isn’t the case if you ask Martinez’s agent Scott Boras.
Boras spoke with Michael Silverman of The Boston Herald on Wednesday and refuted the report of tension between his client and the Red Sox.
“J.D. is involved in multiple negotiations and is pleased with the participants and the good faith process,” Boras told Silverman. “Suggestions otherwise are not accurate.”
While the Red Sox reportedly have offered Martinez a contract in the range of five years, $100-125 million, USA TODAY’s Bob Nightengale reported Wednesday that the slugger only has one other offer currently on the table — a one-year offer from the Diamondbacks.
FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman previously has reported that Martinez could hold out until he receives the contract offer he believes he deserves, which reportedly is in the seven-year, $200 million range.
The MLB offseason’s deep freeze might not be thawing anytime soon.
