The J.D. Martinez era with the Red Sox officially has come to a close.
The designated hitter signed a five-year deal with Boston ahead of the 2018 season and likely will go down as Dave Dombrowski’s best offseason signing. Martinez did everything and more that was asked of him and played a big role in the Red Sox’s 2018 run to their fourth World Series title since 2004.
The 35-year-old also acted as a mentor to several players and never was afraid to help someone with their swing.
Martinez provided stability as a DH — something the Red Sox were missing with the departure of David Ortiz — and could play the outfield in a pinch.
Now he’s off to the west coast where he’ll join Mookie Betts on the Dodgers after agreeing to a one-year deal with Los Angeles.
Martinez took to Instagram to say goodbye to Red Sox fans with a video featuring highlights from his time with the organization.
“Red Sox Nation you will always hold a special place in my heart,” he captioned the video. “Thank you for the memories, Boston! We had a great run.”
The Red Sox will look quite different in 2023 and they still have a lot of work to do before their roster is complete.
