A mere 12 months ago, J.D. Martinez and Mookie Betts were celebrating bringing the Boston Red Sox their fourth World Series title of the century. But after finishing this year at just 84-78, coincidentally the same record as the Chicago Cubs, and missing the postseason, it’s shaping up to be a very different offseason this time around.
On Monday, Martinez officially opted into the final three years and $62.5 million of his deal with the Red Sox – setting up a potential payroll crunch in Boston. The club seems ready to shed some payroll in the coming months after trotting out a franchise record $229 million figure this season.