J.D. Martinez was brought here for his bat yet he came with a glove anyway. When the Boston Red Sox signed him last year to cure the power drought in their lineup, the expectation was that Martinez would primarily serve as the designated hitter. Except the veteran slugger wasn’t interested in being locked into a part-time role as an everyday DH. Convincing Martinez to sign on the dotted line came with the promise that he would occasionally see time in the outfield.
Manager Alex Cora kept that vow by inserting Martinez in the outfield in 57 of the 150 games he appeared in last season.