Red Sox To Sign J.D. Martinez

[cp176]

He is also playing solid D in lf and rf. Metrics, be damned.

 

Good and the truth.

[mvp 78]

I guess JD is kinda good? Who woulda thunk it?

[Jack Flap]

Here's a look at some of the 1B & 3B options that were available this past winter and their 2018 OPS numbers

 

.926 Matt Adams

.910 Moreland

.822 Valencia

.807 Abreu

.806 Hosmer

.803 Sandoval

.797 C Santana

.786 Moustakas

.783 Alonso

.762 Reynolds

.757 Donaldson

.734 Freese

.716 Duda

.711 Longoria

(.708 HRam)

.708 Frazier

.672 AGon

.640 Valbuena

.634 Morrison

 

 

 

 

I was just thinking the other day about how most of the alternatives that were discussed over the winter have been somewhere from pedestrian to awful thus far.

 

I wanted J.D. all along, but thought someone like Morrison or Duda could be an acceptable fallback option if he and Boras refused to budge on their demands...and well, thank god we didn't go that route. As I've said before, Dombrowski really played all of this perfectly and deserves all the credit for doing so.

 

(The Moreland deal is looking like a wonderful bargain right now, too.)

[moonslav59]

I was just thinking the other day about how most of the alternatives that were discussed over the winter have been somewhere from pedestrian to awful thus far.

 

I wanted J.D. all along, but thought someone like Morrison or Duda could be an acceptable fallback option if he and Boras refused to budge on their demands...and well, thank god we didn't go that route. As I've said before, Dombrowski really played all of this perfectly and deserves all the credit for doing so.

 

(The Moreland deal is looking like a wonderful bargain right now, too.)

 

LoMo & Moose did not have to be "fall back". We could have afforded JD and one of those two.

 

Had we not signed Mooreland and Nunez, we could have come close to all 3 (JD, LoMo & Moose).

 

The Moreland signing looks like a genius move, so far, and many of the other choices have looked bad to horrible, so far.

 

Nunez has not lived up to our hopes, and the injury should not be an excuse. It was a known injury.

 

(Note: I liked the Nunez signing and loved the JD signing. I hated the Moreland signing.)

[cp176]

What I like the most about Martinez is that he just plays the game. Apparently on both sides - offense and defense. He is and has been a student of the game. He also is the type of player that seems to fit with respect to the direction that this team wants to go. I'm not much in to comparisons so I don't get too excited by people in the news trying to compare him to anybody who has been here before. He is who he is and that happens to be one of the very best in the game. I really hope that fans can appreciate what they are seeing in this series. Trout - Betts - Martinez !!!

[jacksonianmarch]

JD is a beast. I especially liked an interview I heard from him. His swing is not a natural swing. He created it and needs to perfect it day to day. It’s crazy that something that’s so unnatural for him to where he needs to perfect it daily, can be so effective.

 

His contract is effectively a 2 year contract with big up front payments to him and a lower AAV for lux tax purposes. It’s a homerun for both sides. If JD continues to hammer balls at his current rate, stays healthy, and remains awesome through next year, he’ll be looking at a $30 mil AAV contract

[Yaz Fan Since 67]

Sorry if this has been discussed but what exactly are the outs in this contract? During the O's telecast Jim Palmar said it was a long term deal but I am aware there are outs. Can we keep him long term? I mean if this season continues he will want an even bigger deal.

[Kimmi]

JD is a beast. I especially liked an interview I heard from him. His swing is not a natural swing. He created it and needs to perfect it day to day. It’s crazy that something that’s so unnatural for him to where he needs to perfect it daily, can be so effective.

 

His contract is effectively a 2 year contract with big up front payments to him and a lower AAV for lux tax purposes. It’s a homerun for both sides. If JD continues to hammer balls at his current rate, stays healthy, and remains awesome through next year, he’ll be looking at a $30 mil AAV contract

 

Having not watched JD play regularly until this year, I did not realize just how good he is. You really have to give him a lot of credit for the amount of work he puts in. He has also become a great clubhouse presence and leader.

 

Dombrowski hit a home run with this signing, both for the player he got and for the terms of the contract.

[Kimmi]

Sorry if this has been discussed but what exactly are the outs in this contract? During the O's telecast Jim Palmar said it was a long term deal but I am aware there are outs. Can we keep him long term? I mean if this season continues he will want an even bigger deal.

 

JD can opt out of his contract after both the 2019 and 2020 seasons. So yes, if he continues to perform like he is, it's quite likely that he will opt out and look for a bigger deal.

[SoxnCycles]

Having not watched JD play regularly until this year, I did not realize just how good he is. You really have to give him a lot of credit for the amount of work he puts in. He has also become a great clubhouse presence and leader.

 

Dombrowski hit a home run with this signing, both for the player he got and for the terms of the contract.

 

Yup, gotta hand it to DD for this one. Handled the negoiations with patience, while the fans were freaking out about getting nothing done.

[moonslav59]

JD can opt out of his contract after both the 2019 and 2020 seasons. So yes, if he continues to perform like he is, it's quite likely that he will opt out and look for a bigger deal.

 

He may, but he might also find out the market for a great DH has not improved for him.

[moonslav59]

Yup, gotta hand it to DD for this one. Handled the negoiations with patience, while the fans were freaking out about getting nothing done.

 

Many were freaking out- not all.

[SoxnCycles]

Many were freaking out- not all.

 

No, you were too busy freaking out about Moreland's contract.

[Hitch]

Having not watched JD play regularly until this year, I did not realize just how good he is. You really have to give him a lot of credit for the amount of work he puts in. He has also become a great clubhouse presence and leader.

 

Dombrowski hit a home run with this signing, both for the player he got and for the terms of the contract.

 

Yeah same here. I was sceptical he was as good as was being proclaimed. Boy oh boy, was I wrong on that one. What a hitter. And his defence is okay, too.

[Hitch]

No, you were too busy freaking out about Moreland's contract.

 

Haha!

[Bellhorn04]

no, you were too busy freaking out about moreland's contract.

 

lol

[moonslav59]

No, you were too busy freaking out about Moreland's contract.

 

LOL. You got that right about this poster.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Here's a look at some of the 1B & 3B options that were available this past winter and their 2018 OPS numbers

 

.926 Matt Adams

.910 Moreland

.822 Valencia

.807 Abreu

.806 Hosmer

.803 Sandoval

.797 C Santana

.786 Moustakas

.783 Alonso

.762 Reynolds

.757 Donaldson

.734 Freese

.716 Duda

.711 Longoria

(.708 HRam)

.708 Frazier

.672 AGon

.640 Valbuena

.634 Morrison

 

 

 

Moon, we may not always agree, but I thank you for providing the stats and facts that you painstakingly do on a regular basis. You do make this a better board.

[SoxnCycles]

+1 ^

[moonslav59]

Moon, we may not always agree, but I thank you for providing the stats and facts that you painstakingly do on a regular basis. You do make this a better board.

 

I'll add that these numbers highlight how wrong i was about who we should and should not have signed.

 

I wanted Moose over Moreland.

[Station 13]

JD is a beast. I especially liked an interview I heard from him. His swing is not a natural swing. He created it and needs to perfect it day to day. It’s crazy that something that’s so unnatural for him to where he needs to perfect it daily, can be so effective.

 

His contract is effectively a 2 year contract with big up front payments to him and a lower AAV for lux tax purposes. It’s a homerun for both sides. If JD continues to hammer balls at his current rate, stays healthy, and remains awesome through next year, he’ll be looking at a $30 mil AAV contract

 

Isn't that what his agent expected last year? The Sox finally sign JD just 4+ months ago.

He isn't getting that to DH.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

I'll add that these numbers highlight how wrong i was about who we should and should not have signed.

 

I wanted Moose over Moreland.

 

i'm pretty sure you weren't the only one.

[Hitch]

I'll +2 the comments on moon's value to this board.

[cp176]

Isn't that what his agent expected last year? The Sox finally sign JD just 4+ months ago.

He isn't getting that to DH.

 

Unless he really gets hurt, I don't think he would sign any contract to expressly dh. He seems to be very comfortable doing what he is doing. We want him to stay just the way he is. Hope he stays in Boston for a long time.

[moonslav59]

Unless he really gets hurt, I don't think he would sign any contract to expressly dh. He seems to be very comfortable doing what he is doing. We want him to stay just the way he is. Hope he stays in Boston for a long time.

 

I'm just not sure how 2 more excellent seasons would add more value to JD. He'll be 2 years older.

 

Maybe more teams will be out from under their reset-the-tax mode, but I'm just not seeing JD getting a mega deal at age 32, when he couldn't get it at age 30.

 

Of course, he's never led the league in HRs and RBI, like he is now, but the age and defense aspects are real.

[Kimmi]

Many were freaking out- not all.

 

I wasn't freaking out. I don't freak out.

[Kimmi]

No, you were too busy freaking out about Moreland's contract.

 

LOL

 

What a great signing that has turned out to be so far.

 

Great job Dombrowski on that one as well.

 

He really did have a great offseason.

[Kimmi]

Yeah same here. I was sceptical he was as good as was being proclaimed. Boy oh boy, was I wrong on that one. What a hitter. And his defence is okay, too.

 

Great hitter, great in the clubhouse, and appears to handle the limelight and pressure of playing in Boston very well.

 

Don't get me started on his defense, though.

[cp176]

I'm just not sure how 2 more excellent seasons would add more value to JD. He'll be 2 years older.

 

Maybe more teams will be out from under their reset-the-tax mode, but I'm just not seeing JD getting a mega deal at age 32, when he couldn't get it at age 30.

 

Of course, he's never led the league in HRs and RBI, like he is now, but the age and defense aspects are real.

 

His defense is fine. Using past statistics to prove otherwise is joke like. What is he right now? If anyone wants him, including the Sox, they might just have to pony up a little more. He has played more than half of his games in the outfield and seriously I don't get the folks that think he just sucks so bad out there. If he keeps producing at this pace, and he wants to spend half his time in the outfield, I'm reasonably certain that there will be plenty of teams who will be willing to take a shot at a 32 year guy for a few years. I hope that it is the Sox. Now - Don't get me going about how he should just be a dh! lol

[S5Dewey]

His defense is fine. Using past statistics to prove otherwise is joke like. What is he right now? If anyone wants him, including the Sox, they might just have to pony up a little more. He has played more than half of his games in the outfield and seriously I don't get the folks that think he just sucks so bad out there. If he keeps producing at this pace, and he wants to spend half his time in the outfield, I'm reasonably certain that there will be plenty of teams who will be willing to take a shot at a 32 year guy for a few years. I hope that it is the Sox. Now - Don't get me going about how he should just be a dh! lol

 

I had only seen JDM play a couple of times on tv before the Sox picked him up so I had no opinion of his defense. I'm going to continue to stand behind what I said in ST and even early in the season. He looked lost out there misjuding balls on a wholesale basis. He usually made the play but too many of them were leaping catches or basket catches on what should have been routine plays.

 

However... that's not the guy I'm seeing out there now. Nobody is going to confuse him with any of our regular outfielders but our regular outfielders are the cream of the crop so that wouldn't be a fair comparison. There's no doubt that it's a defensive downgrade when he plays in the OF but I now have confidence that he can make any play that an average outfielder can make and make the play like he knows what he's doing. IMO there are teams who'd love to have a 4th outfielder who plays defense like JDM does.