The Boston Red Sox are faced with a lot of questions regarding their future, particularly about J.D. Martinez and Mookie Betts.
Betts can become a free agent after the 2020 season and has been vocal about wanting to test the free-agent market. Martinez, on the other hand, has until Monday to decide whether he will opt-out of his contract and become a free agent.
The slugger has made it known he “kind of likes” moving around from team to team, but has given no indication whether he will remain in Boston or explore what other teams have to offer.
David Ortiz, for one, hopes Martinez returns because he’s “like the base of the lineup.”
“They’ll probably offer him a couple years on top of the one he has and keep on rolling. Hopefully.” Ortiz said at Pedro Martinez’s Foundation Gala on Friday, per MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. “We need J.D. He’s like the base of the lineup. He helps out all the guys. He’s good. He’s good for the ballclub and good for everything. Hopefully he’ll retire in this organization just like I did.”
Ortiz has similar feelings regarding Betts, who he said is someone Boston always is “going to need.”
“Hopefully, he stays around,” Ortiz said. “Mookie is one of the engines that we’re always going to need. Hopefully, him, the front office and the owners straighten things up so we can have him around longer.”
It certainly will be an interesting offseason for Boston. And new chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom quickly will get to work when the Winter Meetings begin next month.
