J.D. Martinez among ex-Red Sox off to scorching starts in 2023 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
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The Boston Red Sox lost a handful of standout players in free agency this past offseason. Their most notable departure was star shortstop Xander Bogaerts, who signed an 11-year contract worth $ 280 million with the San Diego Padres.
Through 57 games with his new club, Bogaerts is hitting a modest .252/.337/.388 with seven homers and 21 RBIs. He hit just .184 with a .529 OPS in May and has been playing through a nagging left wrist injury.
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Tomase: Red Sox need Devers to start pulling his superstar weight
While it hasn't been an ideal start to Bogaerts' post-Red Sox career, a handful of former Boston players are enjoying stellar debut seasons with their new clubs. Here's how the other ex-Red Sox standouts who signed elsewhere in free agency have fared to this point in 2023.
J.D. Martinez, Los Angeles Dodgers
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You can't blame the Red Sox for moving on from Martinez when they did. The 35-year-old designated hitter saw his offensive numbers dip significantly in 2022. His 16 homers marked his lowest total with 100-plus games played since 2012, his first full MLB season.
Martinez signed a one-year, $ 10 million deal with the Dodgers in late-December and, so far, has been worth every penny. He already is on the verge of surpassing his 2022 home run total with 14 through 44 games.
The 2018 World Series champion has a slash line of .276/.316/.621 with 14 doubles and two triples. That .621 slugging percentage leads the National League.
The Red Sox essentially replaced Martinez with former Dodgers star Justin Turner. Although Turner provides value with his defense, the 38-year-old's offensive production has paled in comparison to Martinez. He's hitting .265/.349/.403 with six homers in 56 games.
Nathan Eovaldi, Texas Rangers
It's still early. But right now, Eovaldi is proving to be the best free-agent signing of the offseason.
The ex-Red Sox right-hander signed a two-year, $ 34 million deal with the Texas Rangers in free agency. He has since stepped up as the ace of their pitching staff, going 8-2 with a 2.24 ERA, 0.934 WHIP, and 77 strikeouts through 12 starts.
MLB named Eovaldi the American League Pitcher of the Month for May. The 33-year-old has a sparkling 0.68 ERA over his last seven starts and is arguably the early frontrunner in the AL Cy Young race.
Michael Wacha, San Diego Padres
During a 2022 season in which the Red Sox' rotation struggled, Michael Wacha was a bright spot. The veteran righty went 11-2 with a 3.48 ERA that led all Boston starters.
Despite his strong performance, Wacha went unsigned last winter until mid-February. He finally inked a one-year contract with a two-year club option for 2024 and 2025 and player options for the 2024, 2025 and 2026 seasons.
The signing has proven to be a wise investment for the Padres. After a slow start to the campaign, Wacha earned National League Player of the Month honors with a 3-0 record and 0.84 ERA in May.
He's 5-2 on the season with a 3.48 ERA in 11 starts.
Hindsight is 20/20, but the Red Sox could sure use Eovaldi and/or Wacha right about now. Chris Sale is on the injured list yet again, and the starting rotation ranks 27th in the league with a 5.29 ERA.
Matt Strahm, Philadelphia Phillies
Strahm left Boston in free agency after one season and joined the Phillies on a two-year, $ 15 million contract. After making 50 appearances out of the bullpen with the Red Sox, he has begun to make a name for himself as a starter.
The 31-year-old southpaw has started in eight of his 16 appearances this year. He's been one of Philly's more reliable pitchers, posting a 3.05 ERA and 0.99 WHIP while tallying 53 strikeouts in 41 1/3 innings.
Strahm's departure left the Red Sox short a dependable left-hander in the bullpen. They entered the season with Richard Bleier and Joely Rodriguez as their left-handed relievers, but both have had struggled through a combination of injury and poor performance to this point.
