In an offseason that will undoubtedly be ripe with surprises, this wasn't one of them.
According to Jon Heyman, J.D. Martinez has officially made the decision not to opt-out of his current contract with the Red Sox. It was a move that the designated hitter already strongly suggested was in the works.
"I have to talk to Scott but given the situation and everything it's probably not leaning the way" Martinez said during the last weekend of the 2020 season. "But that's me. I have to talk to Scott (Boras). He's the Jefe. You have to talk to Scott. He has the answers."
Martinez will now make $19.375 million for 2021. It is the second straight offseason the DH will decline the ability to opt-out of a deal that runs through the 2022 season.
Considering the economics of baseball and Martinez's subpar production in 2020 -- along with continued uncertainty regarding the National League's use of the DH -- the commitment is predictable. Now comes a bigger question? Can the 33-year-old, who hit just .213 with a .680 OPS last season, can bounce back.
Appearing on the Bradfo Sho podcast, Red Sox hitting coach Tim Hyers offered his analysis:
"It was just a mechanical part of his swing. He was just losing his hips and he could not maintain his lower half. And we all know J.D. is a habit guy. He's a feel guy. Things have to be moving in that right direction. And when he has that confidence and he knows where his swing should be at and he feels it, watch out. He was just chasing it the entire time. We could not find ... I'll just keep it in simple terms, his back-side, the strength-part of his swing, what's called the back hip. It was just so out of sequence and underneath him there were just a lot of swing and miss and miss-hits of balls he should have put in play. It was very frustrating.
"He worked his butt off. It wasn't because of lack of effort. We worked so har to make those adjustments. I felt it clicked at the end when it was obviously ..."
When asked why Martinez wasn't able to break through and make the changes, Hyers added, "You have to know J.D. When he doesn't feel it that confidence level is so far down for him because he knows where he should be at. It's not self doubt. It's just like, 'I know I should be here,' and sometimes he can't get out of that so it messes with him in a lot of different ways and he loses the focus of the baseball and now he's chasing pitches. It's just a lot of when he doesn't feel that right swing a lot of things spiral for him.
"We watched video and watched and watched. And we did pick up on things but it was like how to make this correction. Because he would work hard in batting practice in his work and he would have it. And he was like, 'OK, I'm going to get it.' And as soon as the lights were turned on and he stepped in between the lines he just stepped into a bad habit and was kind of searching from there.
"But I really, really believe that he is going to have a good year next year. He knows the things he needs to work on. I think he's going to come in in tip-top shape and be ready to get this year behind him."