Free-agent slugger J.D. Martinez’s name often has been linked to the Boston Red Sox throughout the offseason, and one current member of the Sox indicated he has been in some contact with Martinez about the prospect of playing in Boston.
David Price played alongside Martinez while the two were in Detroit with the Tigers. The Red Sox long have had rumored interest in signing the 30-year-old slugger, and Price noted Tuesday in Fort Myers, Fla. that he has conversed with Martinez on more than one occasion about possibly playing in Boston.
“I’ve talked to him a couple of times,” Price said, via MassLive. “I told him we’d love to have him here. He knows that. He’s going through his process. He put in a lot of time and a lot of effort and a lot of hard work to get to the point where these free agents are right now. You usually only get to do it one time. So you want to make sure you do it right. He’s going through his process.”
Price also reiterated, however, what the Red Sox have stated periodically: Martinez or not, they are more than content with the roster they have.
“I know everybody in this locker room, this clubhouse is extremely confident in the lineup that we run out there every day,” Price said.
Martinez is the best remaining offensive threat on the free-agent market and is coming off a season where he hit 45 home runs with a .303 batting average between the Tigers and Arizona Diamondbacks.
