When thinking about pure hitters around Major League Baseball, there haven’t been many better than J.D. Martinez throughout the past decade-plus. While he’s getting up there in age and without a team right now, the Boston Red Sox know better than anybody that he could swing it with the best of them when he was at his best. 37 years old, Martinez might not be what he once was, but he had a decent year with the New York Mets a season ago, posting a 106 OPS+ and blasting 16 home runs. That wasn’t close to what he did with the Red Sox in 2018, when he led the league with 130 RBIs, hit 43 home runs and posted a 173 OPS+, but it’s unrealistic to ask somebody his age to continue playing at that level. However, that just goes to show how talented Martinez was at one point in his career. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean much to teams in 2025. It’s a what can you do for me now type of business, and the former Red Sox slugger doesn’t seem to be wanted by many. Michael Monreal of Just Baseball predicted that could be an issue, naming him one of five All Stars who could retire this season if things don’t go as planned. “While his bat could still be useful in a part-time, platoon role, the demand for an aging, one-dimensional player is nowhere near what it used to be. Martinez could very likely be given one more shot, but if he doesn’t capitalize, it could be the end of the road for the long-time slugger,” Monreal wrote. Martinez should get another opportunity with a team sometime in the near future. If he doesn’t produce at the level teams expect him to as a designated hitter, that might be the end of the road. If it is, he had a great career, earning six All-Star nods, three Silver Sluggers, and winning a World Series with the Red Sox in 2018.