J.D. Martinez may not be with the Boston Red Sox for much longer, but the hope is his latest trip to the All-Star Game became something of a recruiting pitch.

Nationals superstar Juan Soto came out on top of the 2022 Home Run Derby on Monday night at Dodger Stadium, beating out Mariners phenom Julio Rodriguez (who had by far the most total homers in the derby with 81) in the final round. Soto had already grabbed headlines at the start of the All-Star break amid reports that he turned down a 15-year, $440 million extension with the Nats. Of course, the Red Sox were inevitably going to at least be mentioned in possible trade rumors, so it’s fair to let fans dream for a little while.

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So hopefully, when Soto spent time with Red Sox DH/outfielder J.D. Martinez, it was a pleasant time. It seems so. Martinez gave Soto a nice congratulatory shoutout on his Instagram story after the end of the derby.

J.D. Martinez and Juan Soto at the 2022 Home Run Derby at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. (Credit: @jdmartinez28/Instagram)

Martinez was recently added to the American League All-Star roster as an injury replacement. He’s batting .302 with nine home runs, 38 RBIs, and an .849 OPS at the break, and leads the league with 30 doubles.

He joins teammates Rafael Devers, who will start at third base for the AL, and shortstop Xander Bogaerts. The 2022 MLB All-Star Game takes place at 8 p.m. ET and will air on FOX.

Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @realmattdolloff. You can also email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.