The Major League Baseball general managers’ meetings officially are underway, which means agent Scott Boras is out and about answering questions about his upcoming free agents and players who remain rostered.
J.D. Martinez opted into his contract with the Boston Red Sox on Nov. 4 rather than become a free agent.
Boras discussed with the media Wednesday as to why Martinez elected to not test the free-agent market.
“He wanted assurance of a high level of competition,” Boras said, per the Boston Globe’s Alex Speier. “For that reason, we decided to opt in. …. For this year at this time, we decided this was the best decision for him.”
Boras then doubled down on his client when comparing him to other designated hitters around the league.
“He is a franchise bat,” Boras said. “We have always looked at him in that light.”
Red Sox fans are happy to see the slugger back and would tend to agree with Boras, as Martinez has been a star since his first season with the Red Sox, hitting a combined .317 batting average, 79 home runs, and 235 RBIs in his two seasons with the club.
