Late last season, veteran reliever Chris Martin stated that 2025 would most likely be his final season in the major leagues, implying that he hoped to pitch near his Dallas-area home.
Martin will receive his wish.
After two great seasons with the Red Sox, Martin signed a one-year contract with his hometown Rangers on Monday night, according to a club announcement. Martin is from Arlington, Texas, and has previously thrown for Texas, making 84 appearances in 2018 and 2019.
The terms of Martin’s new contract are unknown, but WEEI’s Rob Bradford claims that he turned down a more lucrative offer from the Red Sox in order to sign close to home.
Martin, who turns 39 in June, has had a good run as Boston’s setup man the past two seasons. After signing a two-year, $17.5 million contract two winters ago, he made 100 appearances with the Red Sox, with a 2.16 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 95 ⅔ innings. Along the way, there were periods of extended dominance, such as the eighth-inning bridge to closer Kenley Jansen. During those two seasons, he issued only seven unintentional walks.
Martin’s 2023 season was spectacular. He posted a 1.55 ERA in 51 ⅓ innings with a 46:8 strikeout-to-walk ratio, allowing only one run in 37 appearances after June 6. Last year was more of an up-and-down season for Martin, who suffered with an ailing left shoulder (non-pitching arm) that hampered his delivery in the first half, spent time on the injured list in June due to anxiousness, and then spent July 5-August 7 on the IL with right elbow inflammation. He recorded a 3.45 ERA (2.78 FIP) in 44 ⅓ innings.
Martin expressed interest in a reunion with the Red Sox, who are still looking for bullpen upgrades after adding lefties Aroldis Chapman and Justin Wilson to a group that is expected to feature righties Liam Hendriks, Justin Slaten, and Garrett Whitlock in the late innings. Martin ran into manager Alex Cora at the Winter Meetings last month while on his way to official meetings with a few interested teams. The Rangers have long been near the top of his list as he enters his tenth — and likely final — major league season, having told MassLive’s Chris Smith in September that he was 95% certain 2025 would be it for him.
“To be 100% honest, I think next year will be my last year,” Martin said in September. “We have a fourth (child) on the way,” Martin said. “Obviously I want to be there for them. And they’re getting to the ages where they’re starting to play sports. I’m getting older. Obviously 40 years old and playing baseball is going to be hard on me mentally and physically. I think that probably will be the cutoff. We’ll see. I don’t want to say 100%. I’d say 95% that next year will be my last year. I just want to be completely focused these last 11 days here and then if the opportunity comes next year — a team’s still gotta want me so we’ll see.”
