Possible suitors get access to Martinez; Cards land Ozuna
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — J.D. Martinez has a chance to see in person what his monster year is worth.
The free-agent star who hit .303 with 45 home runs in 2017 was ready for a meet-and-greet session with teams at the winter meetings. The Red Sox wanted to see him, having hit the fewest homers in the majors last season.
“The only reason I think you have players talk to owners, presidents and general managers is there’s a request to really get to know the player,” agent Scott Boras said Wednesday. “They get to ask questions that they can never ask because they’re never in front of the player.”
St. Louis added a power bat, swinging a deal for Marlins outfielder Marcell Ozuna, according to multiple reports. The move came just a few days after Miami slugger Giancarlo Stanton turned down a trade to the Cardinals.
Ozuna joined Stanton and second baseman Dee Gordon as All-Stars traded by Miami as new CEO Derek Jeter and the Marlins cut payroll.
“Ozuna is one of those names that you have to have great respect, especially as much we see him,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said.
An All-Star the last two seasons, Ozuna, 27, set career bests this season with a .312 average, 37 homers and 124 RBIs. He is eligible for salary arbitration and likely will earn more than $10 million.
Ozuna’s acquisition could prompt the Cardinals to make another trade, with outfielder Stephen Piscotty perhaps heading to Oakland.
Late Wedneday, a person with knowledge of the deal said the Tigers had agreed to trade veteran second baseman Ian Kinsler to the Angels for two minor leaguers. Detroit receives 18-year-old righthander Wilkel Hernandez and 23-year-old outfielder Troy Montgomery.
Kinsler, 35, hit .236 with 22 home runs and 52 RBIs last season, but the rebuilding Tigers no longer need him. Kinsler spent four years with Detroit after being acquired from Texas in a trade for Prince Fielder, and he was generally productive, although his batting average dipped to a career low in 2017.
Seattle appeared to close in on reliever Juan Nicasio, who led the National League with 76 appearances, and the Mets reached a deal with righty Anthony Swarzak, a person familiar with the talks told the Associated Press.
Minnesota boosted its rotation — for late 2018, at the earliest — by agreeing to a $10 million, two-year contract with former Yankees righty Michael Pineda, who had Tommy John surgery last July.
As for Martinez, the 30-year-old lives in Florida and was going to hit the meetings before they end Thursday. He totaled 104 RBIs and a 1.066 OPS with Detroit and Arizona, and his season included a four-homer game for the Diamondbacks.
The Red Sox need power, a feeling heightened by the Yankees’ completion of a trade for Stanton this week.
Costas wins Frick Award
Bob Costas won the Ford C. Frick Award presented by the Baseball Hall of Fame for broadcasting excellence and will be honored on July 28 during induction weekend at Cooperstown, N.Y.
Starting out at NBC in the early 1980s, Costas has handled play-by-play and pregame assignments at the World Series, as well as hundreds of regularseason and other postseason games over the years.
A 28-time Emmy Award winner who also has served as a broadcaster for other sports and the Olympics, Costas, 65, has called games and been a documentary host for the MLB Network for nine seasons.
“Because of my love of baseball and because of the other names that (won the Frick Award), this is at the top of the list,” he said on a conference call. “No disrespect of all the other awards, because they all mean a lot to me, but this means the most.
“Even if you’re coming off the bench, you’re on the same team as Jack Buck, Vin Scully, Ernie Harwell, Red Barber, Harry Caray and Mel Allen.”