Victor Martinez

So Victor Martinez has signed with the Tigers for 4-years and $50 million. Supposedly the Red Sox offered 3-years $36 million or 4-years $42 million. I don't blame Victor for taking the bigger offer from the Tigers nor do I blame the Red Sox for not matching the offer.

At the 2009 trading deadline - Martínez was traded from the Indians to the Red Sox for Justin Masterson, Nick Hagadone, and Bryan Price. The Red Sox gave up some pretty good prospects (Masterson for whatever reason hasn't blossomed in Cleveland) and in exchange they got 1.5 years of Martinez and now they will also get two top daft packs (Detroit's 1st round and a sandwich pick). You can hardly quibble with this deal from Boston's perspective. If they overpaid what they thought Martinez would be worth 4-years from now (and have foregone the compensatory picks in the process)- then fans would have a gripe.

At this point it looks like Jarrod Saltalamacchia could be the starter at catcher and maybe Jed Lowrie at 3rd for Adrian Beltre. I know that won't be popular with the average fan but the truth is those changes won't result in that much of an offensive drop-off. It really won't.

Vaya con Dios Victor. Thanks for the memories.