J.D. Martinez disagrees with Major League Baseball’s ruling.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred last month docked the Boston Red Sox a second-round draft pick and suspended video replay coordinator J.T. Watkins after a lengthy investigation into allegations the club illegally stole signs during the 2018 season.
It was viewed by many as a minor punishment, especially when juxtaposed with the discipline handed to the Houston Astros for stealing signs in 2017, but Martinez feels differently.
“If they went to court with that, it would get thrown out. There was nothing there,” Martinez told The Boston Globe on Wednesday. “The judge would laugh.”
MLB didn’t punish any Red Sox players and suspended former Boston manager Alex Cora only for his conduct as Houston’s hitting coach in 2017. Martinez believes the league still felt compelled to dish out some sort of punishment, though, and the discipline levied upon Watkins isn’t sitting well with the Red Sox slugger.
“That pissed me off. It wasn’t right,” Martinez told The Globe. “They just ruined this guy’s career with no evidence.”
Martinez, who decided back in November not to opt out of his Red Sox contract, is entering his third season with Boston after back-to-back All-Star campaigns in 2018 and 2019.
