J.D. Martinez Open To Staying With Red Sox Beyond 2020, ‘I Love Boston’

The Red Sox have a lot of question marks surrounding them going into the 2021 season, including the status of J.D. Martinez.

The Boston designated hitter can opt out of his contract once the 2020 campaign comes to a close, which for the Red Sox will be in just a few short weeks.

It’s fair to wonder if Martinez will decide to opt out and test the open market, especially now that the National League will have a DH in 2021. But the 32-year-old isn’t necessarily thinking about the future.

“To me, I never get caught up in the past or the future,” Martinez told reporters during a Zoom call Thursday. “I try to stay to what I can control. And that’s today. At this point in my life and this point in my time and what I’m thinking about, is not even about the opt out or about anything like that. I’m really focusing on right now.”

But would Martinez want to stay in Boston beyond 2020?

“Yeah, I mean I love Boston. I love playing here,” he said. “I’ve always said it from the beginning that this fan-base suits my passion for the game. I always say, when you get booed, I’m probably booing myself more than they’re booing me. So I really don’t hear them. That really doesn’t bother me. I really don’t read into the media. So I don’t really get caught up in all that either, which is an easy (thing) to get caught up in in this city. So I just love the passion this year and obviously I’d love to stay here.”

Martinez also cited the COVID-19 pandemic as a reason he would be hesitant to test free agency, with an unclear picture of how the virus will impact Major League Baseball financially.

He is batting .218 this season with three home runs and 17 RBIs.

Thumbnail photo via Paul Rutherford/USA TODAY Sports Images