The 2018 Boston Red Sox lineup should look like this

4. LF J.D. Martinez

That new Red Sox left fielder I mentioned earlier? It should be J.D. Martinez. The Red Sox are not going to end up with Giancarlo Stanton, so they should do everything they can to sign Martinez this offseason. He will be the one big name star added to Boston’s roster this offseason, and it will have a tremendous impact up and down the roster.

While Martinez could DH and Ramirez could play first, Boston may make another move to add a true first baseman. In that scenario, Jackie Bradley Jr. would likely have to be sent elsewhere. It seems like the Giants, White Sox, or Royals could be a fit for JBJ right now, so finding a trade partner would not be difficult.

Last season, Martinez split his time with the Detroit Tigers and Arizona Diamondbacks. Through 119 total games, he smashed 45 home runs to contribute 104 RBI to his teams. Boston could surely use that kind of pop in their lineup. Of course, the Red Sox couldn’t count on 45 homers being added, but even his 2018 projection from Baseball Reference would make enough of an impact. They have him hitting .290 with 31 home runs and 81 RBI next season. Let’s just hope he’s doing that in a Boston Red Sox uniform.

J.D. Martinez should also be able to take advantage of the dimensions of Fenway Park. In 2017, just under half of his home runs were hit to left field, and the Green Monster would become his best friend. He also has the ability to push the ball to the right though too, so the short 302-foot poke to Pesky Pole would be an added bonus.

Simply put, the Boston Red Sox need to find a way to get J.D. Martinez on this team. He gives them an instant improvement in the lineup and is certainly capable of playing left field. He’s the best option to make a run at a World Series title in 2018.