How Former Red Sox Relief Pitcher Feels After Rejoining Rangers

Chris Martin spent two seasons with the Boston Red Sox before landing a one-year deal with the Texas Rangers this offseason.

Martin, who turns 39 years old in June, underwent a solid stint with Boston. The right-hander recorded a 2.16 ERA across 100 appearances with the Red Sox over the past two years, including a 1.05 ERA in 51 1/3 innings in 2023. He was an integral part of the bullpen and will now return to Texas for a second run.

“It feels good,” Martin told MLB Network on Wednesday. “… They play really good defense. I throw a lot of strikes, balls getting put in play and our good defense is key.”

The Rangers first signed Martin in 2018 fresh off his two-year tenure pitching in Japan. Martin struggled, pitching to a 4.54 ERA across 46 relief appearances before Texas eventually traded him to the Atlanta Braves. There, Martin became a World Series champion in 2021 and secured big-league roster spots with three other organizations, leading to his full-circle return back to Texas.

Martin went 3-1 with a 3.45 ERA this past season with the Red Sox, dealing with a few minor shoulder injuries in the process along with an anxiety-related issue in June. Boston skipper Alex Cora leaned heavily on the nine-year veteran’s ability to fulfill the team’s set-up man role.

Boston chief baseball officer Craig Breslow insinuated there was some interest in bringing Martin back for a third season earlier this offseason.

That was, however, said before Breslow and the front office added left-handed relief pitchers Justin Wilson and Aroldis Chapman.

“Obviously it’s pretty clear the value he had,” Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said at the GM Meetings in November, per MassLive’s Christopher Smith. “We saw that when he was pitching and when we didn’t have him available to pitch. And so we know we have some work to do in kind of rebuilding the bullpen and obviously could see there being a fit there.”

Texas adding Martin to its bullpen isn’t just a reunion, it’s also a homecoming for the Texas native. Martin attended Arlington High School and McLennan Community College in Texas where he suffered a shoulder injury that caused a five-year departure from baseball. The Colorado Rockies allowed Martin to make his MLB debut in 2014, starting his soon-to-be decade-long career.