The Boston Red Sox made a confident investment in J.D. Martinez ahead of the 2018 season, but they left themselves some wiggle room just in case things went awry.
Martinez is eligible for a handful of player opt-outs in his current Red Sox contract, the first of which will present itself at the conclusion of the 2019 campaign. Should Martinez opt-in, he’ll be eligible for opt-outs following the 2020 and 2021 seasons as well, but there’s a chance the Red Sox will have a say in those matters.
President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski back in November classified Martinez’s final two opt-outs as “medically oriented” and they were put into place after the veteran slugger underwent a physical to finalize his deal in Boston. The Red Sox’s minor trepidation stemmed from a foot injury Martinez sustained prior to the 2017 season. According to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, Martinez’s 2020 opt-out will become mutual if he misses 60 straight days that season or 120 between 2019 and 2020. The same rules reportedly apply for Martinez’s 2021 opt-out.
The 31-year-old thus far in Boston has avoided serious injury entirely, which hasn’t come as a surprise to Martinez himself. He admitted Monday he originally was a bit perplexed by the medical stipulations of his contract, but he doesn’t harvest any ill will toward the team.
“I was very confused,” Martinez said, per Cotillo. “I was going to the top doctors in the league and they were all telling me the same thing, that I was going to be fine and that it was in my past already.
“I understand it. It’s a business. I’ll never hold it against anybody or anything like that. I’ve been through it too many times. If I did opt out, it wouldn’t be a personal thing. It would be a business thing. Same thing on their end so there’s an understanding on that.”
As for Martinez’s future in Boston beyond 2019, he believes it’s not entirely up to him. But if the three-time All-Star has it his way, he’ll spend the rest of his big league career in a Red Sox uniform.
