J.D. Martinez: MLB teams get 'more of a reward for losing' than winning

Boston Red Sox slugger J.D. Martinez says that a lot of MLB teams aren't trying to win, and the league seems to be OK with that perception.

He suggested the current collective bargaining agreement doesn't give franchises enough incentives to compete.

"In the new CBA we have to figure out a way to make teams competitive," the 32-year-old designated hitter/outfielder said, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI. "I believe we are losing a lot of fan bases in certain cities because there are no rewards for winning. There's more of a reward for losing in today's game than anything.

"I think we're losing a lot of fans because teams are more motivated to lose than they are to win."

The three-time All-Star also doesn't believe the answer lies in adding more playoff teams. A report in February indicated that MLB commissioner Rob Manfred was considering a change to the postseason format that would expand the field.

"Manfred's idea of adding more playoff teams, that's not it," Martinez said. "To me, it's: Stop rewarding them for losing. Start rewarding teams for winning."

Martinez also argued that the CBA discourages teams from signing free agents tied to draft-pick compensation because draft selections are valued so highly.

He said he wants to see the opposite of the competitive balance tax threshold, which currently penalizes teams for spending beyond the mark.

"Put a luxury tax on the floor. Put a floor tax," said the nine-year veteran said. "You want to go under, you're going to get penalized. Now all of a sudden the Marlins can't go out and trade their entire outfield. Now you have to keep players who are relevant so it forces you to be relevant."