Chris Martin: Chicago Cubs to Los Angeles Dodgers
Dave Dombrowski was only in his third season as Detroit Tigers GM when he drafted Chris Martin in 2004, but the righty didn’t sign. The Colorado Rockies selected him the following season, but he again returned to college.
After several injuries and surgeries actually prompted Martin to give up baseball and work for UPS, he gave the game another shot in 2010. While playing in an indy ball, the Red Sox actually signed him to a minor-league contract for the 2011 season, and he made it all the way to Triple-A before they traded him to the Rockies after the 2013 season. Finally, in 2014, he made his big-league debut.
Since then, Martin has pitched for the Yankees, Rangers, Braves, and Cubs, who dealt him to the Dodgers at this year’s trade deadline. At the time, he had a 4.31 ERA over 34 appearances, including four games finished. Over 26 appearances for his second team of the season, he dazzled with a 1.46 ERA, two games finished, and two saves.
Even though he’s 36, Martin didn’t debut until he was 28, so he got a late start on accruing service time. Therefore, he has one more year of arbitration before becoming a free agent. With all the bullpen issues, why didn’t the Sox pursue him?