To say that this Boston Red Sox season has been a disappointment could be an understatement.
Alex Cora's team couldn't keep its foot on the gas when they bounced back from their early struggles, and all signs point that they'll be on the selling end of several MLB trade deadline transactions.
Once expected to be in World Series contention, now the Red Sox are likely to part ways with their veterans.
According to MLB Network's Jon Heyman, the Red Sox could move Nathan Eovaldi, Christian Vazquez, and J.D. Martinez:
"Red Sox are now listening on veterans. Maybe not a committed seller yet but they are seriously considering it. JD Martinez, Nate Eovaldi, Christian Vazquez all free agents to be and among the candidates to go. Bogaerts was told he stays," Heyman tweeted.
Martinez is the likeliest trade candidate right now. He'll fetch a big payday in free agency, and the Red Sox have looked to trim their payroll. Still, he won't let all the rumors get in the way of his performance:
“‘I want to be remembered as a professional,” Martinez told The Boston Globe. “A guy who came through and did what he had to do. I didn’t just take a contract. I played it out. I take a lot of pride in that. I gave everything, my heart and soul to the Red Sox.”
Martinez knows it's not personal. He understands Chaim Bloom will do whatever he feels it's best for the organization, so there are no hard feelings:
"I've been in this game too long. The Red Sox are a first-class organization, but the industry in total, it's a business. At the end of the day, it's a business and everyone's going to treat it that way. So I don't get involved in that. I kind of just focus on what I can control, who I'm facing on the mound," Martinez said. "Like the Drake song, 'There's no friends in the industry.' It's true. It's just the business. It's a hard situation. I understand it."
The season has been tough for the veterans, as they tried to turn the tables to make another World Series run together, but to no avail:
“It’s tough, dude,” Martinez said. “It feels like we’re fighting for our lives, you know? Fighting to keep the band together.”
The Dodgers, Padres, and Cardinals could be in the mix for Martinez, as they're all looking to add more depth to their outfield.
