CINCINNATI, OHIO – SEPTEMBER 20: J.D. Martinez #28 of the Boston Red Sox rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the fifth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on September 20, 2022 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
These three notable Boston Red Sox players won’t be back next season and this is where they will end up signing.
The Boston Red Sox are going to look a lot different next season. Their failures in 2022 should lead to some major changes.
The opt-out in Xander Bogaerts’ contract is expected to be put to use and the team will be in danger of losing one of its best players. There’s a great chance he does still return as letting him leave would feel like a step in the wrong direction. If they had no intentions of keeping him, they made a massive mistake of not trading him in the summer.
Some other Red Sox free agents won’t be back. It’s these three notable Red Sox players who will find new homes in 2023. Let’s predict where they end up.
1) Red Sox free agent prediction: J.D. Martinez will sign with the Diamondbacks
Designated hitter J.D. Martinez had an okay season for the Red Sox in 2022. Injuries took their toll and we could be seeing the end of his major league career. Martinez could certainly find his power stroke again. The ageless one, Nelson Cruz, set a perfect example of how to hit for power gracefully even into your 40s.
For Martinez, the desire to sign a DH-exclusive player could hurt him a little bit in free agency. Add in the back issues and he’s not going to be the most popular free agent. It’s the Arizona Diamondbacks that could be a sneaky team to sign him. That’s the landing spot to predict for him.
Why the Diamondbacks? They have some talented young pitching and some young hitters beginning to grow into everyday players. They lacked the veteran presence Martinez brings to the lineup. To give Arizona a surer thing from the DH spot, Martinez would be a swell reunion candidate for them.
The universal DH will give Martinez many more potential destinations. It’s the Diamondbacks, looking to take a step forward that will ultimately decide to pay this Red Sox free agent.