Off The Wire

BASEBALL

Martinez signs

J.D. Martinez and the Boston Red Sox have, at long last, come to an agreement. The slow dance between the free agent slugger and the power-deficient team wrapped up Monday when they settled on a $110 million, five-year contract. A person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press about the deal, speaking on condition of anonymity because it was subject to a successful physical and had not been announced. Martinez has the right to opt out of the contract in two years and become a free agent again. Speculation Martinez and the AL East champions would eventually wind up together had been swirling ever since he became a free agent in November. Martinez hit .303 with 45 home runs and 104 RBI last year for Detroit and Arizona, which acquired him on July 18 for three prospects. He had 29 home runs and 65 RBI in 62 games with the Diamondbacks, and he hit a record-tying four home runs in one game. Martinez started a combined 112 games in right field last year. He figures to become the primary designated hitter for the AL East champion Red Sox, which would turn Hanley Ramirez into a platoon player at first with Mitch Moreland.

Dyson finds team

The Arizona Diamondbacks have agreed to a two-year, $7.5 million deal with outfielder Jarrod Dyson. Arizona announced the contract late Monday afternoon. Dyson hit .251 and stole 28 bases for Seattle last season. He hit 5 home runs with 30 RBI in 111 games with the Mariners. He played all of his seven previous major league seasons with the Kansas City Royals.

TENNIS

Sock breaks through

Top-seeded Jack Sock won a match for the first time this year Monday, beating qualifier John-Patrick Smith 6-4, 6-4 on the opening night of the Delray Beach Open. Sock, the highest-ranked American at No. 8, is attempting to become the first player to win consecutive titles at Delray since the tournament moved from Coral Springs, Fla., in 1999. The match was the first for Sock since he lost to Yuichi Sugita last month in the first round of the Australian Open. He also dropped a first-round match in Auckland, New Zealand. Sock made it a first-day sweep for Americans. Donald Young beat qualifier Ramkumar Ramanathan 6-1, 6-2. Wild card Francis Tiafoe beat Matthew Ebden 6-2, 2-6, 6-2.

Sports on 02/20/2018

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