Boston Red Sox: What’s going on with J.D. Martinez?

PHOENIX, AZ - SEPTEMBER 24: J.D. Martinez
PHOENIX, AZ - SEPTEMBER 24: J.D. Martinez

Last Monday, ESPN’s Pedro Gomez broke the news that the Boston Red Sox and J.D. Martinez had reached a deal. But just under a week later, the deal is yet to have been made official. What red flags could have been waved during Martinez’s physical?

J.D. Martinez was among the free agents that was still unsigned on the cusp of spring training. He apparently found a deal with the Boston Red Sox, with the often ignored qualifier of “pending physical”.

Every time news breaks of a free agency, the stipulation of pending physical is included. Rarely does the pending physical nullify a deal, but as it looks now, Martinez’s Boston deal may be one of those rare cases.

Martinez’s injury history

The outfielder has landed himself on the disabled list twice in recent years. The first occurred in 2016 when he collided with the outfield wall and broke his right elbow. In 2017, Martinez sprained a ligament in his right foot.

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It’s the latter injury that is a more likely culprit for Martinez’s lengthy physical. Bone fractures are less likely to be aggravated after they’ve healed. Certain surgical procedures can be recommended for ligament tears, a fate Martinez perhaps pushed aside in a rush to return to play.

Red Sox are staying tight-lipped about the situation

Dave Dombrowski, Boston Red Sox’s president of baseball operations, is saying little about the extended physical. His most extensive comments on the topic were that Martinez “continues to take his physical.”

Dombrowski’s few, vague words would do little to ease Boston fans happy to picture Martinez in Fenway. It looked as though Boston had found their slugger; their answer to New York’s Stanton acquisition. But now the deal is stuck in limbo.

However, the delay might not be all bad for Red Sox’ fans. Dombrowski and his front office may be acting more methodically than it seems.

Making something out of nothing

The Red Sox know Martinez’s market isn’t what he wanted it to be. Many were surprised that he was able to even get the deal that is apparently on the table with Boston. It would be unfair to outright accuse the Red Sox of exaggerating the impact of past injuries on a player. But it is worth recognizing the motive of doing so.

If the Red Sox were to find something concerning in Martinez’s physical, they’d nullify the deal and Martinez would remain a free agent. However, then he’d be a free agent that a team rejected for physical, potentially injury-related reasons. That would significantly hurt his value on the free market.

But if the Red Sox were to find something that only slightly raised their eyebrows to, it could be quite a bargaining chip for Boston. Rather than reentering free agency with a fresh blemish on his resume, Martinez could stick with Boston for just a few bucks shaved off his original contract.

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In all likelihood, Martinez will go to the Boston Red Sox for the original five-year, $110 million contract. Could-be-something/could-be-nothings happen in the medical world. However, the peculiar week that’s unfolded between Martinez and Boston could continue into an unfortunate result for both parties.