J.D. Martinez Offers Reminder To Teams Ahead Of MLB Free Agency

If you ask J.D. Martinez, interested teams shouldn’t be overly hesitant to take a chance on him in Major League Baseball free agency this winter.

The All-Star slugger believes his track record speaks for itself.

Martinez is no stranger to bouncing around the big leagues, and his baseball journey could take him to a new city in the coming months. After a great five-year run with the Boston Red Sox, the 35-year-old is set to hit the open market once the 2022 MLB season wraps up.

The 12th-year veteran obviously isn’t a spring chicken and his best days probably are behind him. Still, Martinez believes potential suitors can take a look at his history to develop confidence in signing him.

“Whoever believes in me … I mean, the Red Sox believed in me when nobody else did. I think it paid off pretty good for them,” Martinez said on the “Bradfo Sho” podcast, as transcribed by WEEI. “Detroit believed in me. I think it paid off good for them. Arizona believed in me. It paid off good for them. It’s the way I feel. I have always rewarded teams that believed in me. We’ll see who is next.”

Martinez’s last game in a Red Sox uniform might be Wednesday when Boston and the Tampa Bay Rays meet for their series finale at Fenway Park. NESN’s full coverage of Boston’s last 2022 contest will begin at 3 p.m. ET.