Red Sox Notes: J.D. Martinez “fed up”, Sox interested in Eduardo Nuñez

J.D. Martinez is getting “fed up” with the Red Sox

I was not mentally prepared for this offseason. Boston came into the winter with one real target in mind in J.D. Martinez, and they have clearly drawn a line in the sand with an offer around five years and $125 million. They are not budging from that offer with their (seemingly correct) belief that no other teams are bidding for the slugger’s services. Unfortunately, Martinez doesn’t much care about that last part and he is not happy about the lack of flexibility for the Red Sox. According to this report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (subscription required) Martinez is fed up with the Red Sox. Look, I understand Martinez’ point of view, and I’m sure many of you know by now that I’m going to side with the player in 99 percent of these situations. The slugger came into this winter expecting a massive payday after an incredible 2017 but instead hit the strangest and quietest market in recent memory. Everyone would be frustrated by this situation. That being said, I’m not really sure what the Red Sox are supposed to do here. Until another team enters the conversation, there’s no reason for Boston to bid against themselves. Martinez’ problem is really with the market as a whole rather than the Red Sox. Of course, things start to change depending on how long Martinez is willing to sit out, and if another team does eventually enter negotiations it looks like they’ll have an immediate edge over Boston. Some will use this as a reason to cut negotiations with Martinez all together and move on, but nah. Still sign him. He’s, like, super good at hitting.

The Red Sox are showing interest in Eduardo Nuñez

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It seems as though Eduardo Nuñez is getting most of his interest from the American League, including the team he ended the 2017 season with. Nuñez was a hugely important sparkplug for last year’s Red Sox team and a big reason they overcame the Yankees in the division and stayed atop the AL East. Coming off a knee injury and with Rafael Devers now entrenched at third base, it wasn’t clear if they’d want to go after Nuñez for another contract. Now, it looks like they are showing interest along with the Yankees and Rays. Nuñez is a helluva fun player and I would be all for taking him back, likely in a similar super utility role he filled last year, at least after Dustin Pedroia returns. Prior to that, Nuñez would allow the team to not rely on Marco Hernandez as an everyday player. Plus, he would be a big help for a Yankees team that could really use either a third or second baseman. So, double whammy.

David Price is not planning on opting out after 2018

When the Red Sox signed Price a few years ago, it seemed very unlikely that he would be dead set against opting out when he had the chance, just because everyone uses their opt out if they perform. Granted, he hasn’t performed up to expectations. His first season was better than many give it credit for, but it was also marred by consistently hard contact. His second season was derailed by an elbow injury. Now, he’s out to prove himself in his third season, and despite a tumultuous relationship with some members of the media and fanbase, he has no plans to opt out after this year. If he pitches out of his mind this year, I think he’d probably reconsider, but at this point it doesn’t really matter. I’m expecting a big year for Price and really hoping for one to. He has been as maligned to as unfair a degree as any player I can remember in recent Red Sox history.