J.D. Martinez: I want to be in Boston ‘for the rest of my career’

J.D. Martinez may have an opt-out in his contract after this season, but it certainly doesn't seem like he wants to go anywhere.

At his media availability during the All-Star break, Martinez was complimentary of the Boston Red Sox organization. He spoke about wanting to remain a member of the team moving forward despite the fact that he could choose to hit the open market in the offseason.

"Boston has been my favorite team since I was a kid and I've always dreamt of being there," Martinez said. "I love the family side of it and the way they treat their parents and the way they act. It's just a first-class organization and obviously, I would like to be part of it for the rest of my career but that's not up to me really, in a sense."

Martinez: '18 Sox "didn't have that adversity"

Of course, Martinez didn't guarantee that he was going to return to the team. He was non-committal about the future and acknowledged that any decision would be "a business thing" whether it comes from him or the Red Sox.

"I understand it. It's a business," Martinez said. "I don't ever hold it against anybody or anything like that. I've been through it too many times. That's why if it did come out where I did opt-out it wouldn't be a personal thing It's a business thing. Same thing on their end. There's an understanding in that."

Still, given that Martinez likes it in Boston, it seems like there would be a way that the two sides could work out a mutually beneficial agreement in the event that Martinez was to opt out of his deal. The Red Sox wouldn't want to lose a player that has hit .321 with 68 homers in 229 games with the team, especially given the issues they had at DH in the immediate aftermath of David Ortiz's retirement.