4) Red Sox free agent signing of Chris Martin is working to perfection
Chris Martin’s play hasn’t gone cold. Yes, he is another former Dodgers player the Red Sox convinced to come over to Boston. He finished with the Dodgers last year during a season that began with a so-so performance with the Chicago Cubs. He did end on a high note, going 3-1 with a 1.46 ERA in 24.2 innings for the Dodgers.
Knowing they’d need some help in the bullpen, the Red Sox signed Martin to a two-year deal worth $17.5 million. While not dominating on the mound, Martin has been effective and one of the big reasons why fans can trust when Alex Cora hooks one of the starting pitchers.
Martin has delivered 11 innings for the Red Sox in as many appearances. He’s 0-1 with a 1.64 ERA. Yet another one of the relievers helping to give Boston one of the more impressive bullpens at the start of the season, all of those pitching-needy teams who passed on him are wishing they had brought him to town right now.
The Tampa Bay Rays are the only team to do damage against Martin this year with a run against him in consecutive appearances back in the middle of April. His numbers have slowly improved ever since. Along with Jansen and a few other bullpen arms, Martin is cleaning up those final frames.