J.D. Martinez is reportedly holding out on the Red Sox and Diamondbacks

As signings continue to be few and far between this offseason (thanks for breaking up the monotony, Jay Bruce) everyone’s eyes are still on the biggest free agents available for the taking.

Why deals aren’t happening is a mystery (we’ll never know! this isn’t reminiscent of anything that has ever happened in the past!) but teams aren’t ponying up the money or the length of contracts that free agents want, so everyone is at an impasse. And we’re all sustaining on the smaller potatoes who sign or whatever rumors decide to bubble up.

While the impasse has been clear for weeks now, it’s not like any free agents or front offices have been standing by the side of Negotiation Highway with a huge sign that says “We’re Holding Out! It’s All Our Fault!” just to make clear why things are so snooze-worthy right now.

Until now, as apparently one free agent is purposely playing the waiting game to get the money he deserves. According to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, J.D. Martinez is willing to stay in a staring contest with the Red Sox and the Diamondbacks up to the start of (and possibly into) Spring Training.

As Heyman reports, the Red Sox have extended a five-year offer to Martinez worth anywhere between $120 to $150 million in total value. The Diamondbacks are also believed to have a similar offer on the table, although the details around that are sketchier than what Boston has said they’ll commit.

That’s anywhere between $30 to $80 million lower than Martinez and his camp would like, and at least a year less as far as the length of the contract goes. While one of those things being a disappointment could probably be overcome, the entire contract being less than he hoped is probably tougher to swallow. Which makes it easier to for him to hold out for at least one side of this offer to nudge north and be more to his liking.

It also of course helps that Martinez has two teams after him, which means that if he annoys one with this holdout the other can serve as a backup. The Diamondbacks may be a better fit, as it is now looking like the Red Sox want him to be the full-time DH in Boston, which is not his preference. However, the Red Sox are the team that should want him more because of those sweet sweet dingers he can offer, so the closer that it gets to Spring Training they may blink faster than the Diamondbacks in this stare down.

The final deal for Martinez might not reach the $200 million he hopes it will, but if he’s employing these tactics it should at least push things a little closer to his asking price. Or at the very least add another year to the contract (and if you’re the Red Sox, promise him some time in the outfield) to make things more palatable.

Teams may or may not be trying to wait out free agents to save themselves money and drive prices down, but the other side can play that game, too. Which means we all keep waiting until someone gives in.