J.D. Martinez will bat fifth for the American League in Tuesday’s 2019 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, but he’ll need to start thinking about his future as the second half of the season is about to get underway.
The slugger has the opportunity to opt-out of his contract with the Boston Red Sox following the 2019 or 2020 season, and if he chooses to do so after this year, Martinez will make $23.75 million in 2020. It doesn’t sound like the 32-year-old will opt-out of his contract with the Red Sox, though, judging by his recent comments.
“Boston has been my favorite team since I was a kid and I’ve always dreamt of being there,” Martinez said, per WEEI’s Rob Bradford. “I love the family side of it and the way they treat their parents and the way they act. It’s just a first-class organization and obviously, I would like to be part of it for the rest of my career but that’s not up to me really, in a sense.”
Martinez uses Scott Boras (like many players) as his agent, and noted Boras’ advice is something he takes into consideration before making any major moves.
“For me, I just listen to him. That’s what I pay him for,” Martinez said. “He gives me his opinion, he gives me his advice and it’s up to me after that to make my decision. We’re really not there yet, where he’s given me his opinion and his advice. So I think we have to see how it plays out.”
It’s only a matter of time before we find out what the slugger plans on doing following the 2019 season.
