Henry dismissed any suggestions of collusion between the teams as ridiculous. He believes this winter’s inactivity was driven by several market forces and warned against expecting an annual feeding frenzy for free agents. Henry and Werner also suggested the Red Sox could wind up with the highest payroll in baseball this year, especially if they eventually land Martinez, as most insiders still expect they will.

I really don’t want to talk about free agents — J.D. Martinez or anyone else, Henry said. We are very happy with our roster. I think we do have the highest payroll in baseball, and again, we’re defending American League East champions. I think we’ve done what we needed to do to improve this team.

If anything, Werner said Ortiz’s absence likely contributed to the diminished TV ratings or other anecdotal signs that the Red Sox’s popularity might be waning. But Werner doesn’t expect the Ortiz hangover to drag into this year, too, especially if the Red Sox win the division again.

The University of Miami product has failed to live up to his billing as the No. 9 pick of the 2015 NFL draft, often playing turnstile at right tackle for a dysfunctional team. Despite that, he’s still a young prospect who is solid enough as a run blocker to merit a second chance. Playing for the Giants wasn’t kind to young players in 2017 — just look at Eli Apple — and Flowers could still pay off as a low-risk pickup should he be released or traded this spring.

In addition, Martinez tends to miss games, meaning either Moreland or Ramirez could step in and handle the DH spot. There is nothing wrong with depth, but do not presume either will surpass 500 at-bats, as each did in 2017. Meanwhile, Boston’s projected hitters leading the lineup figure to score more runs, which is good for outfielders Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi and perhaps shortstop Xander Bogaerts, depending on his lineup spot.

As for the Diamondbacks, they acted quickly to replace Martinez, in theory, by signing speedy Jarrod Dyson. Remember, once the organization announced it would store baseballs in a humidor for this season and perhaps beyond, it made a Martinez return there not as palatable, perhaps for the player and fantasy managers. Dyson does not hit for power, though he runs and is excellent defensively. Stolen base production is not going to be curtailed by a humidor. This also opens up opportunity for the somewhat forgotten Yasmany Tomas, the inverse of Dyson in many ways, but I will not be going out of my way to select him.