Chris Martin’s time in the majors is coming to an end.
The veteran reliever is reportedly retiring after 11 seasons, according to FanSided’s Robert Murray. Martin’s career took him through the Colorado Rockies, New York Yankees, Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves, Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers and the Red Sox, and he leaves behind a long run built on persistence and a late-career stretch that stood out in Boston.
For Red Sox fans, Martin’s most memorable chapter came after he signed a two-year deal with the club in 2022. He didn’t arrive in the majors with Boston until 2023, but once he did, he looked like one of the best relievers in the game.
That season, Martin posted a 1.05 ERA and a 46-to-8 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 51 1/3 innings. He followed that with a 3.45 ERA and a 50-to-3 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 44 1/3 innings in 2024.
Boston lost him in free agency after the 2024 season, and he landed with the Texas Rangers, where he spent the final two seasons of his career. The Red Sox had interest in bringing him back last offseason, but it never came together. It also meant Martin never got the chance to pitch for Boston in the postseason, since the club missed the playoffs in both 2023 and 2024 and didn’t return until 2025, when he was already in Texas.
What some fans may not realize is that Martin’s Boston story actually started long before his big league breakout with the club. He first joined the organization on a minor league deal before the 2011 season and spent 2011 through 2013 in the Red Sox system. After pitching in Indy Ball in 2010, he made his MiLB debut in Boston’s organization, reached Triple-A, and still didn’t make his major league debut for the Red Sox until he came back ahead of the 2023 season.
Martin’s path was a winding one, including a stint in Japan, but it added up to a solid career. He finishes with a 3.53 ERA across 434 major league appearances and a World Series ring from 2021 with the Atlanta Braves. His run in Boston was brief, but it was a productive one, and the Red Sox got two strong seasons out of him before his career came to a close.
In Other News...
Danny Jansen Just Made The Rangers Catcher Decision A Lot Tougher
Danny Jansens late-season return gave the Rangers something they had been missing for much of 2026: a catcher who could stabilize the position after injuries and uneven production forced the club to lean on Elias Diaz and Austin Wynns as stopgap options. Jansen missed 64 games with a right forearm and elbow strain, then came back in mid-August and showed enough at the plate to remind Texas why the position suddenly looks a lot less settled than it did a few months ago.
Chris Young is at the MLB GMs meeting in Las Vegas, where the Rangers are expected to keep weighing their options behind the plate. Jansens finish, along with the development of Logan OHoppe, gives the front office more to think about than it had during the summer, and it could end up nudging the club toward a different approach as it sorts out the catcher picture for next season. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Need A Center Field Answer But This Astros Fit Isnt It
The Rangers are still looking at center field through the lens of Evan Carters hip surgery, and that search has naturally led to plenty of outside names as the club tries to patch a major hole in the lineup. One of the more talked-about possibilities comes from Houston, where a left-handed defender with real athletic value has been floated as a possible answer, even if the fit is a little more complicated than it looks on paper.
Texas does have internal and free-agent paths to consider, from Cam Cauley in the system to Trent Grisham on the market, and those alternatives may make more sense depending on how the front office wants to balance defense, offense and cost. The bigger issue is not just finding a center fielder, but finding one who actually matches what the Rangers need, and this particular Astros connection does not seem to clear that bar cleanly. [Read more 🡒]
Skip Schumaker Earned Respect But Rangers Still Face One Big Hurdle
Skip Schumakers first season in Arlington gave the Rangers a real case to make in the American League Manager of the Year conversation. Texas stayed in the division hunt deep into the year, and Schumakers work drew enough attention that his name belonged in the discussion even if the hardware went elsewhere. The award instead went to Bruce Bochys former bench coach, now the Chicago White Sox manager, after he guided Chicago to a playoff berth in 2026.
For Schumaker, the bigger issue may be less about recognition than the path to getting it. The Baseball Writers Association of America has long leaned heavily on postseason appearances when it fills out its ballots, which means a close race alone is not always enough. If the Rangers want their manager to get serious award traction next time, the bar is likely to be higher than simply hanging around the race until the final week. [Read more 🡒]