J.D. Martinez made the decision to not opt out of the final year of his deal with the Boston Red Sox over the weekend.
The move surprised some, but manager Alex Cora was among those who say they saw this coming.
“No, not at all,” Cora said during an appearance WEEI’s Christian Fauria’s “25 for 25” on Wednesday when asked if he was surprised. “If you think about his situation and where the business is at — we can’t predict what’s going to happen. We can’t predict what’s going to happen tomorrow, right? What’s going to happen in a month or two months. So for him to stay, for me, business-wise it was a great, great decision, and also team-wise.
“He’s very comfortable with where he’s at. The way he started last season was amazing. He struggled a little bit in the middle of the season. We pushed him a little bit hard defensively because of the situation we were in, but then he settled back to the DH spot, and you take a look at what guys did in October and he was a monster. He was amazing. The quality of the at-bats, controlling the strike zone, it was good. I’m glad that he’s back and now we know who’s in the middle (of the lineup). Now we’ve got to do what we’ve got to do in the offseason and try to get better.”
Martinez finished the 2021 season with a .268 batting average, 28 home runs and 99 RBIs. He saw extended time in the outfield while the Red Sox dealt with injuries and COVID-19.
The 33-year-old will make $19.35 million, and with all the uncertainties surrounding Major League Baseball and the collective bargaining agreement that expires Dec. 1., it was wise for Martinez to remain in Boston, make the guaranteed money and not have to worry about the free agent mark until after next season.
