BOSTON -- It has been a down year for both J.D. Martinez and the Red Sox, but that doesn’t mean the slugger and the team can’t regroup together next season.
Though Martinez has an opt-out clause for the second straight offseason, he doesn’t sound like he wants to leave.
“I love Boston. I love playing here,” Martinez said. “I've always said it from the beginning that this fan base suits my passion for the game. I always say when you get booed, I'll be booing myself more than they're booing me.
“I really don't read into the -- no offense to the media -- I really don't get caught up in all that, either, which is easy to get caught up in in this city. I just love the passion that's here and obviously I'd love to stay here.
“I always feel that Boston is always going to be good, they always have a chance to win every year. Right now, we're going through that period, that transition of 2018 to now, with everybody leaving and stuff like that. That's not saying in a year or two, or two or three years, they're [not] going to be back on top again."
While the Red Sox entered Thursday tied with the Angels for the worst winning percentage in the American League at .324 -- only the Pirates were worse in MLB -- Martinez said that doesn’t alter the way he views the franchise that he helped win a World Series championship two years ago.
“You think about it, we're missing Eduardo [Rodriguez], we're missing Chris Sale -- those are two big pieces of this team. I feel like that potentially really hurt us this year,” Martinez said. “But it is what it is. It happened quick, but like I said, I have faith in ownership here, the front office here. I know they're always going to put a good product on the field.”
Of course, with Martinez having a tough season, this isn’t the ideal time to be going on the open market. In fact, he feels the same for established players who will be free agents this offseason and will be judged on a 60-game regular season.
“I feel like all you really need is one hot month and you had an amazing season. Or you can have one terrible month and you’ve had a terrible season,” Martinez said. “Where like over the course of six months, you kind of get the understanding of a player and truly what it’s worth. To me, I get it, 60 games is better than nothing, right?
“I would not want to be a free agent during this time for that reason. You just don’t know. Everything is up in the air for guys like that. It’s just weird.”
Eovaldi pushed back again
Red Sox right-hander Nathan Eovaldi (right calf strain) is eligible to come off the injured list on Saturday, but that’s not going to happen. Instead, Eovaldi will once again be pushed back a few days in his pursuit to start for Boston for the first time since Aug. 20.
“He just threw a bullpen [session] and it went really well again, but he still feels it a little bit, so he’s going to be pushed back again,” Red Sox manager Ron Roenicke said. “The reason we keep pushing him back is because we don’t want him to go out there and pitch when he’s not 100 percent ready, because if he feels this again, it could cost him, especially if it sets him back to where he was a couple weeks ago. It could cost him the rest of the season.”
The next test for Eovaldi will come when he throws another bullpen session, which could happen Tuesday.
Roenicke recalls Seaver
Roenicke was saddened to hear about the death of pitching icon Tom Seaver.
While Roenicke hit 17 career homers in a career that lasted 527 games, his first long ball was hit off none other than Seaver on June 20, 1982, at Cincinnati.
“After I hit my homer, I was with the Dodgers and Tommy Lasorda, he said, ‘Give me the ball, and I’m going to take it over and have him sign it.’ I said, 'No.' I was worried about it," Roenicke said. "He said, ‘No, I’ll give it to him.’ So he wrote on it, ‘To Ron, why me? Tom Seaver.’ Great career. From what I heard, great person. I didn’t know him personally other than just to meet him, but I heard so many good things about him.”
Brewer to IL; Walden returns
Right-hander Colten Brewer, who has been a frequently used piece of the opener equation for the Red Sox, was placed on the injured list prior to Thursday’s game against the Blue Jays with a right third finger sprain.
To replace Brewer on the roster, Boston recalled righty Marcus Walden from its alternate training site in Pawtucket, R.I.
Brewer is 0-3 with a 5.61 ERA in 11 appearances, including the first four starts of his career. Walden, who was a key piece of Boston’s bullpen last season but struggled at the outset of 2020, will look to regain his groove in his return.
Red Sox claim catcher
The Red Sox have added to their catching depth by claiming Deivy Grullón off waivers from the Phillies. Grullón was then optioned to the alternate training site.
The Dominican native spent the majority of last season at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, where he was an All-Star and hit .283 with 24 doubles, 21 homers and 77 RBIs in 108 games.