Martinez should help fill Ortiz power role
Red Sox acquisition lifts Yankees rivalry to another level.
Last August, Mookie Betts admitted the obvious: the Boston Red Sox missed retired slugger David Ortiz.
Despite winning the AL East, Boston finished last in the junior circuit in homers with 168 — one fewer than Giancarlo Stanton (59), Aaron Judge (52), Gary Sanchez (33) and Didi Gregorius (25) combined for in 2017.
But this week, the Sox finalized a five-year, $110 million deal with J.D. Martinez, who hit 45 homers a year ago. Since 2014, Martinez has averaged 32 homers.
“It’s a big bat,” Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said. And now, the YankeesRed Sox rivalry has been revved up a notch, with the teams each acquiring a major slugger this offseason.
The Yankees want to win the division in 2018 so they can avoid playing in the sudden-death AL wild-card game. The Red Sox won the AL East in 2016 and 2017.
“It’s always better when the rivalry is good,” said Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia. “They did what they thought they needed to do to make their team better, so it should be a lot of fun.”
Nationals: Washington officially announced its one-year deal with reliever Joaquin Benoit and placed pitcher Joe Ross on the 60-day disabled list as he recovers from Tommy John surgery.
Marlins: Well-traveled Cameron Maybin signed a $3.25 million, one-year contract. Maybin helped the Astros win the 2017 World Series as a reserve outfielder.
Orioles: Pitcher Chris Tillman signed a $3 million, oneyear contract that includes performance bonuses. He is the second starter added by the Orioles in the past week, after Andrew Cashner, and likely will join right-handers Dylan Bundy, Kevin Gausman and Cashner in the rotation.
■OutfielderColbyRasmus, 31, has decided to return to baseball after walking away last summer, signing a minor league contract. He was with Tampa Bay in July when the Rays said he was going to “step away,” with neither the team nor Rasmus offering an explanation.
Astros: Minor league RHP Forrest Whitley, 20, was suspended for 50 games without pay for a violation of baseball’s minor league drug prevention and treatment program. Whitley, a top prospect, is on the roster for Double-A Corpus Christi, and his suspension will begin at the start of the Texas League season. He was drafted with the 17th overall pick in 2016.
Pirates: Signed free agent outfielder Michael Saunders to a minor league contract and invited him to major league spring training. Saunders hit a combined .202 in 73 games for Philadelphia and Toronto last season. He was an All-Star in 2016 with the Blue Jays, hitting 24 homers with 57 RBIs and batting .253.
Three-team trade: Arizona sent infielder Brandon Drury to the Yankees and received outfielder Steven Souza Jr. from Tampa Bay in a three-team trade that included five players plus two to be named later. Souza will start at one corner outfield position for Arizona. Drury gives the Yankees a new option at third or second base, where New York was projected to start a pair of rookies. Top pitching prospect Anthony Banda goes from Arizona to the Rays, who also get minor league 2B Nick Solak from the Yankees and two players to be named from the D’backs. Minor league right-hander Taylor Widener moves from New York to Arizona.
Giants: The team said Hall of Famer Orlando Cepeda, 80, remains hospitalized in critical condition after a cardiac incident.
Wednesday’s Games
NBA notes
Cavaliers: LeBron James said he disagrees with a potential proposal to re-seed the 16 teams in the playoffs regardless of conference. The league has always had teams from the Eastern and Western Conferences compete separately in the postseason with the respective conference winners meeting in the NBA Finals. Commissioner Adam Silver recently floated a proposal where the 16 teams would be seeded regardless of their conference.
Mavericks: The NBA fined owner Mark Cuban $600,000 for comments about tanking during a podcast with Hall of Famer Julius Erving. Commissioner Silver said the fine was for “public statements detrimental to the NBA.” The league said the podcast with Erving was posted Sunday, the day the AllStar game was played in Los Angeles. Cuban said during the 30-minute interview he met recently with some of his players and told them “losing is our best option.” Cuban was trying to illustrate to Erving how he believes he is a transparent owner. The fine came a day after the team was accused of having a hostile workplace for women in a Sports Illustrated report that detailed allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct by former team president Terdema Ussery. Cuban said he was embarrassed by the allegations and vowed to improve the club’s work environment. He is hiring outside counsel to investigate the claims and requiring everyone to undergo sensitivity training, including himself. The NBA said it will monitor the investigation closely. The team fired website reporter Earl Sneed, who was twice accused of domestic assault while working for the team.