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Report: Red Sox won't budge on 5-year offer to Martinez

Harry How / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Dave Dombrowski is sticking to his guns.

The Boston Red Sox president of baseball operations is in a standoff with agent Scott Boras to land J.D. Martinez, and won't budge on the team's five-year offer believed to have been extended earlier in January, according to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports.

It was reported that the offer was valued at $100 million, though Boras later called that inaccurate. Several days later it was reported that the figure was more in the range of $125 million. Last week, Red Sox chairman Tom Werner confirmed his club was in active negotiations with Boras for Martinez.

"We're hopeful to make a deal," Werner said. "But as I've said, it takes two people to make that deal."

Boras set the initial asking price on Martinez at seven years and more than $200 million. But with a market that's only believed to contain the Red Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks, who are limited financially, it hasn't exactly been a bidding war for the best free-agent slugger available. While the Red Sox can offer the most money, Martinez wants to play the outfield, and Boston would use him primarily as its designated hitter.

As Boras and Dombrowski continue to play chicken, the rest of the free-agent market continues to reside in a deep freeze. Lorenzo Cain - also a Boras client - is the only free agent to receive a five-year contract this winter. The outfielder's $80-million deal with the Milwaukee Brewers earlier this week also represents the largest sum any player has received.

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