"During the season, I really have enough to worry about, just playing the game," Martinez told the Boston Herald on April 3. "I don’t want any distractions."
Lately, it seems like nothing can distract Martinez at the plate.
After a slow start in April, the switch-hitting backstop has raised his average to .284 and his OPS to .825. Six of his seven home runs on the year came in May, when he also drove in 19 runs.
Martinez, 31, will be a free agent at the end of the year, and will most likely be the highest-rated catcher on the market.
That is, unless the Red Sox re-sign him.
Martinez is not only one of the top hitting catchers in the majors, but also provides his team with versatility.
With a career .298 average as a switch-hitter, Martinez is proficient from both sides of the plate. He’s hit .301 against righties and .293 against lefties.
Martinez also provides Terry Francona with flexibility on defense. If Kevin Youkilis needs a rest at first base, Martinez, who’s played 132 games at first, can step in. Or if Francona wants Jason Varitek behind the dish, Martinez can DH because he’s such a good hitter.
Joe Mauer was the other big-name catcher supposed to be on the free-agent market in 2010, but the Twins locked him up to an eight-year, $184 million deal this spring.
Martinez won’t command that much money on the open market, but if he continues his torrid pace at the plate, he will certainly be a hot commodity when free agency rolls around.
It might not be a bad idea for the Red Sox to lock up their three-hole hitter sooner than later.
