Spring Training is underway and the Red Sox will be playing games over the next month to determine who makes the Opening Day roster, and who will be starting the season in the minor leagues.
Questions surround this Red Sox team, including "Will top prospects Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell or Marcelo Mayer make the Opening Day roster?" or "How will the infield look on Opening Day after the Rafael Devers dramatics?"
We will see these questions start to be answered as the month of March arrives, but some former Red Sox have yet to find a home heading into the 2025 season.
Two names were crossed off this list in the past few weeks, with Kenley Jansen signing with the Los Angeles Angels and Nick Pivetta signing with the San Diego Padres.
Whether it's due to a decline in play or age concerns, some former Red Sox are yet to be signed who would make a positive addition to a plethora of MLB clubs.
1. J.D. Martinez, DH
Martinez, 37, had been one of the games best hitters in his prime. His ability to spray the ball all over the field and stay disciplined at the plate led him to finishing 4th in AL MVP voting in the 2018 season as a member of the Red Sox.
Fast forward to 2025, Martinez saw his hitting numbers decline in 2024 after posting a .235/.320/.406 slash line with the Mets last season. Those numbers were a serious downgrade from 2023, where Martinez hit .271/.321/.572 with 33 home runs for the Dodgers en route to an All-Star selection in his age-35 season.
It isn't for a lack of trying for Martinez, who recently claimed he wants to play in 2025 and could benefit playoff-contending teams because of his productive bat and mentorship toward young hitters.
A few interesting position players/hitters are still free agents: Verdugo, Rizzo, Iglesias, JD Martinez, McCann, Peralta, Merrifield, Grossman Carpenter
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 24, 2025
Martinez may have his best hitting years behind him, but the former Red Sox will more likely than not be rostered at the end of the season. A down year in 2024 could be a sign of things to come for Martinez, but it could also be an outlier after Martinez was an All-Star in '21, '22 and '23.
Justin Turner recently signed with the Cubs at age 40, as Martinez shouldn't have a hard time landing a job in the coming weeks.
The Arizona Diamondbacks have been viewed as a potential suitor for the 37-year-old after the team lost Joc Pederson in free agency.