Chris Martin served the Boston Red Sox well during his two-year tenure with the team — so well that they could've justified bringing him back for what may be the final season of his career.
But Martin, the Arlington, Texas native, opted to pitch closer to home. The veteran reliever has signed a one-year deal with the Texas Rangers, first reported by MLB insider Robert Murray of FanSided.
The 38-year-old previously shared that he was open to a reunion with Boston, but the Rangers got to him first. Martin was deeply underrated during his tenure with the Red Sox, and he brought experience and attitude to their young pitching staff.
Martin posted a 1.05 ERA over 51.1 innings in 2023, the lowest ERA for any qualified pitcher that season. He didn't allow a run from July 30 to four games into the 2024 campaign. The Red Sox missed the playoffs that season so the veteran never got to flash his elite stuff in the postseason, but he earned Cy Young votes for the first and only time in his career (so far) for his performance.
Two-year Red Sox reliever Chris Martin signs one-year deal with Rangers in free agency
Free-agent reliever Chris Martin and the Texas Rangers are in agreement on a one-year contract.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) January 7, 2025
Martin didn't perform as well on the mound last season as in 2023, but he was still a reliable late-game performer for Boston. He posted a 3.45 ERA, 50 strikeouts and three walks over 44.1 innings and kept it together late in the season as the rest of the Red Sox's bullpen fell apart. Over his two seasons with the Sox, he clocked an outstanding 2.16 ERA.
Martin spent some time on the injured list last season with elbow discomfort but hasn't shown many other signs of age. He made multiple excellent fielding plays from the mound, and his play style was as gritty as ever in his last year with Boston.
The Red Sox lost out on Martin but made a few other upgrades to their bullpen earlier in the offseason by adding Justin Wilson and Aroldis Chapman. They're also considered a "frontrunner" for closer Tanner Scott by MLB insider Jim Bowden.