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FanGraphs | Craig Edwards: JD Martinez has decided to opt in to the remaining three years of his Red Sox contract, which says a couple of things. The first is his lack of confidence in beating his remaining pay, and it also increases the chance Boston decides to move Mookie Betts, or Martinez himself, to get under the luxury tax.
Baseball Prospectus | Matthew Trueblood ($): Larry Walker, after getting a little over 50 percent of the vote in last year’s tally, will get one more shot at the Hall of Fame. It’s a huge travesty if he doesn’t make it in, as there are a number of players worse than him in the Hall, and quite a few great hitters who just aren’t as great as him.
The Athletic | Evan Drellich ($): It’s coming: the robot ump. Automated strike zones will debut next season in some minor league parks, and commissioner Rob Manfred says that with a massive overhaul in equipment and advances in technology, it will be standard in the minors. Yet the question remains as to whether this can be a consistent and reliable form of officiating, even if it is on the whole more accurate.