Martinez signing held up by concern over previously injured foot

It doesn't appear that the Boston Red Sox ever doubted they would sign outfielder J.D. Martinez to a contract, but they were cautious about his history.

After news Feb. 19 that the two sides had agreed on a five-year, $110-million contract, it took a week for the deal to become official because of concerns about Martinez's previously injured right foot, reports USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale.

The 30-year-old suffered a sprained ligament in his foot last spring. While there wasn't any concern about whether he'd be ready to play this spring, the Red Sox were worried that the injury could become more of an issue over time, according to Jared Diamond of The Wall Street Journal.

Everything is "good to go" now that the language of Martinez's contract has been changed, Nightengale reports.

Martinez's agent, Scott Boras, confirmed to Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston that the Red Sox were concerned about his client's foot, and said the contract includes protection for Boston if Martinez has a long stint on the DL in the fourth or fifth year of the deal.

"Obviously the X-rays and things showed he had this condition called the Lisfranc condition," Boras told Drellich, adding that "it's healed, back to normal."

At the back end of the deal, the Red Sox reportedly added some protection in case of a debilitating injury. The measures include a complicated three-doctor system to confirm whether an injury to Martinez in the first three years was caused by the previously existing Lisfranc condition. Also, Martinez must spend a portion of the 2020 season on the 60-day DL or miss 120 days over years two and three in order for the Red Sox to seek recompense, per Drellich.

Martinez gives the Red Sox the power bat their lineup has been missing since the retirement of David Ortiz. He hit 45 home runs and drove in 104 runs for the Detroit Tigers and Arizona Diamondbacks last season, while Boston finished last in the American League in home runs with 168.