The Boston Red Sox have hit another low point in their season. Getting swept by an inferior Angels team, especially with how much ground Boston made up in the wild card and division race before the trip to LA, will leave a sour taste in the mouths of Red Sox fans as the team heads back to Fenway for a six-game homestand.
With a record of 40-42, the team sits seven games back of the Yankees for the AL East lead, and two games out of the final AL wildcard spot. Their next series will be a big one against the Blue Jays, who Boston is currently battling within the division and the wild card race.
As life for the Red Sox isn't great right now, one of their former All-Stars just got a chance to return to the MLB after spending last season with the Mets. After the 37-year-old finally showed his age last season in Queens, J.D Martinez inched closer to an MLB return after getting a contract offer from an AL West club.
Rangers Make Non-Guaranteed Offer to J.D. Martinez
Martinez had been waiting for his chance ever since the Mets didn't retain him in free agency this past offseason. After a spectacular 2023 season with the Dodgers, Martinez couldn't replicate the same success in New York.
Across 120 games, J.D. slashed .235/.320.406 with 16 home runs and 69 RBIs for the Mets, a significant drop from his .271/.321/.572 slash line with 33 bombs and 103 RBIs just one season before with the Dodgers.
Heyman: Rangers have made a non-guaranteed offer to JD Martinez.
— Underdog MLB (@UnderdogMLB) June 27, 2025
Martinez has spent the past few months hitting, training and waiting for his next opportunity. He gets one from a struggling Rangers team, and Martinez has the option to either accept this non-guaranteed offer, or wait for a guaranteed MLB deal to come along.
The Rangers (40-41) could certainly use his bat, as the team is bottom-five in runs scored (295) and 21st in home runs across the league. They've experienced injuries to Corey Seager, Wyatt Langford, Joc Pederson and Jake Burger this season, but their pitching has kept them afloat (277 runs allowed, least in MLB).
While non-guaranteed contracts are rare, think of it as a tryout, but with some incentives. If the Rangers part ways with Martinez, they won't be penalized. On the other end, if Martinez performs well, he will get paid X amount and can stay with the team. The slugger hasn't agreed to the offer, but it was put on the table by the Rangers.
Injuries happen, and teams could always use a bat like Martinez's to come off the bench in crucial postseason scenarios. Time will tell if the former Red Sox slugger jumps on this deal, or holds out to test his luck with a guaranteed contract.
Either way, Martinez has been one of the best hitters in the sport over the past decade. He's a three-time Silver Slugger with over 331 home runs and 1741 hits to his name. Despite his down year with the Mets last season, I expect Martinez to make an impact with whatever team chooses to sign him next.