J.D. Martinez. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- Alex Cora was the bench coach for the World Series-winning Astros last year. That club used 144 lineups in 162 regular season games, so don't be surprised if the new Red Sox manager changes his with some frequency as well.
One thing's for sure, though: new Boston slugger J.D. Martinez will hit behind Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi. Maybe Hanley Ramirez, too.
J.D. Martinez Shows Value To Red Sox On Field And In The Clubhouse
Red Sox manager Alex Cora says Martinez has a special value, on and off the field, for his team.
Martinez batted .319 with a .794 OPS in his first spring with the Sox, and he likes his new lineup.
"It's a lot of speedy guys, a lot of guys that can run," he said. "A lot of burners, guys that steal bags, guys that score from first. It's definitely a lineup where, when you have guys on, a single double scores guys easily with this team."
Does he have any personal expectations after belting 45 homers in just 119 games last year?
"I have my own expectations of what I expect to do on a daily basis, and obviously, if I'm not meeting those, then I know that I'm not doing the best that I can be," he said. "Obviously I hold myself very accountable in everything I do. As far as everyone else's expectations, that's everyone else's expectations ... I can't expect to meet their expectations, but I can expect to meet my own."
Opening Day is Thursday in Tampa.
WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Adam Kaufman reports