MLB Rumors: Another Scott Boras Client Wants $200 Million Contract
MLB rumors state that another Scott Boras client reportedly wants a $200 million contract. That player is outfielder J.D. Martinez, who finished the 2017 MLB season with the Arizona Diamondbacks. A report by MLB analyst Jerry Crasnick states that teams that have reached out to J.D. Martinez during the offseason have come away with the impression that he wants a deal in the $200 million range.
A contract at that price would likely force Arizona to look elsewhere in free agency, even though there has already been an open indication that the team wants to re-sign Martinez. The question of affordability is a big one for the franchise, though, meaning he may have played his last game in a Diamondbacks uniform. There are a number of other MLB rumors linking J.D. Martinez to teams like the Boston Red Sox, but the market hasn’t been completely fleshed out just yet.
During the 2017 MLB season, Martinez played in 119 games between his time with the Detroit Tigers and Arizona Diamondbacks. In just 489 plate appearances, he posted 45 home runs, 104 RBIs, and a 0.303 batting average. Those are numbers that would look great in the middle of any lineup, giving some evidence that he might be worth spending $200 million on during the MLB offseason. But is there a team that would be willing to meet the asking price of uber-agent Scott Boras?
Free agency has arrived! Here are the top 50 free agents of the 2017 class: https://t.co/CWKHlt0ak6 pic.twitter.com/lPsw4A2xfh
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) November 8, 2017
J.D. Martinez just turned 30 and this will be the first long-term contract that he has been able to sign since getting drafted by the Houston Astros. The Astros didn’t think that he would pan out, releasing him during Spring Training in 2014, only to see the Detroit Tigers pick him up and flourish. Now he may be looking to out-earn his entire combined salaries (less than $25 million) in the first year of a new long-term contract. Martinez is just now escaping his arbitration years with the Tigers.
On paper, the best fit for Martinez is still with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He only played 62 regular season games in Arizona this past year, but he still posted 29 home runs, 65 RBIs, and a 0.302 average in just 257 plate appearances. He also had an impressive 0.364 batting average in the 2017 NLDS, though the team would end up losing it to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Fans of the Diamondbacks will want to pay close attention as these MLB rumors develop, especially if Scott Boras and J.D. Martinez are intent on getting a $200 million deal.
[Featured Image by Scott Halleran/Getty Images]
