Chris Martin has spent 13 years in the majors, built a career that started with the Colorado Rockies in 2014 and carried him to Texas as an Arlington native who made good. But at 40, the Rangers reliever is running into the kind of wall that doesn’t care about reputation, experience, or grit.
The numbers are doing the talking now. Martin is 0-1 with a 7.30 ERA and a 1.86 WHIP this season.
In 2026, he somehow finished with a 2.98 ERA, but his bWAR dipped below zero for the first time since 2015, and this year’s -0.4 mark is a career worst. He’s also been on the injured list four times over the last two seasons.
That’s a sharp drop from where he was just two-and-a-half years ago with the Boston Red Sox, when he put together the best season of his career. In that stretch, Martin posted a 1.05 ERA and a 1.03 WHIP across 51 innings, with a 3.2 bWAR that stood out not just for him, but for any middle reliever.
Still, age and injuries have a way of catching up fast, and Martin’s body isn’t giving the Rangers the same version anymore. There’s a reason the leash gets shorter for a pitcher in his 40s than it does for someone in his 20s or 30s.
That’s part of why a move like Emiliano Teodo makes sense. Teodo has been pitching pretty well in middle relief at Triple-A Round Rock, and there’s no reason to think he’d do any worse.
He could also use the major league experience. At the same time, Martin is making $4 million, while a rookie would cost the call-up minimum, which fits the kind of math Rangers ownership should appreciate.
The bigger issue is the bullpen itself. Texas has a wildly uneven relief corps, and Chris Young needs real answers, not just veterans nearing the end or minor leaguers who aren’t ready for the moment, if the Rangers are serious about chasing a playoff spot.
Martin’s competitiveness and heart are not in question. But the production is slipping, and at some point the conversation shifts from admiration to reality.
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