J.D. Martinez opts into final year of deal with Red Sox, per report

Red Sox slugger J.D. Martinez has declined to opt out of his five-year deal with Boston for the third straight offseason and will remain with the defending AL East champs through the completion of the contract, as MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reported Sunday:

Martinez will earn $19.35 million during the final season of the $110 million deal. While the 34-year-old slugger endured a down 2020 season, he’s been one of the top DHs in baseball for most of his time in Boston and rebounded in 2021, making his fourth All-Star team while hitting .286/.349/.518 with 28 homers and 99 RBIs.

Since Martinez showed signs of age in 2020, it’s perhaps a risky move for him to stay in Boston rather than trying to secure a multi-year deal while he’s coming off a good season. But he’ll still make a lot of money in 2022, and if he can put together another good showing next season, his market may be even better next winter if there’s a universal DH as part of the new collective bargaining agreement.