After an up-and-down 2025 season with the Texas Rangers, right-handed (and very tall) reliever Chris Martin considered retirement. But according to Chris Cotillo, Martin is both (possibly) not retiring and a person of interest for the Boston Red Sox! He’s not ready to hang up the spikes just yet.
However, interest is feeling like it’s becoming the Pee-Wee’s Playhouse secret word of the Red Sox. Every time it’s mentioned by the media is the front office doing this:
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Who is he and where does he come from?
A 10-year, 7-team veteran who stands 6’8”, Chris Martin has pitched in both leagues and from coast-to-coast. He was a 21st round draft pick by the Colorado Rockies back in 2005. (Roman Anthony was born in 2004). He spent the 2023 and 2024 seasons with Boston where, at the advanced baseball ages of 36 and 37, he put up a 2.16/2.60 ERA/FIP over 95.2 innings (100 appearances on the nose). He finished 21 games but only recorded 5 saves. While a stalwart in the ‘pen, he was on two Sox teams that couldn’t put things together to make a run. He wasn’t the closer but he pitched like one. In 2023 he finished 12th in Cy Young voting. His only time receiving votes at all! He is from Arlington, Texas so returning literally to his home town for 2025 thinking it was his final season made sense. But if he’s sticking around, apparently a Boston reunion is possible.
Is he any good?
Martin has been a good reliever over his career. He averages 1.2 bWAR per 162 games. Not showing off, not falling behind. Right in that meaty part of the curve. He holds a lifetime 3.33/3.03 ERA/FIP. He has great strikeout-to-walk numbers and K’s just over 25% of batters while walking only 3%. He’s a 40ish inning guy – but he never put up gaudy reliever innings totals so even heading into his age-40 season, 40 innings is probably a reasonable estimate.
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TLDR; just give me his 2025 stats.
Games/Innings: 49/41.2
ERA/FIP: 2.98/3.58
K/BB: 43/8
All for the Texas Rangers.
He hit the IL in May and missed a couple weeks but came back and pitched OK the rest of the way. Martin allowed 6 home runs all year but 3 were in one game against the Baltimore Orioles.
Why would he be a good fit on the Red Sox?
You can never have too many good relievers is the first, most obvious reason. He’d also be looking for a short deal since he almost retired this year. He made just $5.5 million in 2025 so he’d be affordable if time and age catch up. And he’s already familiar with Fenway Park, Alex Cora, and the Red Sox Way or whatever.
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Why wouldn’t he be a good fit on the Red Sox?
Martin would be signing a major league free agent deal and couldn’t be optioned to the minors. The Sox, like the rest of the league, like to have some flexibility on stashing their relievers in AAA for a bit. That’s not going to be possible here. He’s also old and the Sox risk holding the hot potato when the music stops. If Martin envisions himself pitching a lot of 8th innings he’s probably out of luck.
Show my a cool highlight.
You got it. Winning energy right there!
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Smash or pass?
Let’s say SMASH. The risk is low. The upside is there. The money is low. And any inning he can scoop up is one more that that Whitlock and Chapman don’t have to toss. The Sox do have some young pitchers who could be available for the bullpen as well, but if they’re ready sooner than expected and are contributing, well, you cross that bridge when you come to it.
