The Texas Rangers are looking to reclaim their spot atop the MLB's totem pole after a brutal 2024 season, and they are turning towards a familiar face to help them in their bid to do so. According to Robert Murray of Fansided, the Rangers have struck an agreement with relief pitcher Chris Martin, agreeing with him on a one-year contract, although the financial terms of the contract are yet to be disclosed.
Martin is a fan favorite among the Rangers faithful, and it's not hard to see why. He hails from Arlington, Texas — the home of the Rangers. And it's not like Martin is a charity case who was signed only for the fan interest he drives. He remains a quality reliever even now that he's 38 years of age.
Over the past two seasons with the Boston Red Sox, Martin put up a 2.16 ERA in 95.2 innings pitched (100 games). The dip in his fastball velocity in 2024 is a bit of a concern (he lost one mile per hour on his heater), but the fact that his strikeout rate remained excellent should ease whatever worries there may be in that regard.
The increase in his ERA from 1.05 in 2023 to 3.45 in 2024 can be explained in an increase in batting average on balls in play against him as well as a spike in home run per fly ball rate. But even then, a 3.45 ERA in 44.1 innings of work is nothing to scoff at, and the Rangers certainly got themselves a quality bullpen arm without breaking the bank.
Martin first pitched for the Rangers back in 2018, and it's with Texas that he first found his stride. In 2019, the Rangers traded him at the deadline to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Kolby Allard.
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Rangers brace for better 2025 season
World Series defenses are never easy. And the Rangers can certainly attest to that. Mostly running it back after a successful 2023 season, Texas saw declines in production from some of their most crucial players, and their injury problems did not help matters whatsoever.
The Rangers have made a few moves this offseason to remedy their 2024 woes. They signed hard-hitting Joc Pederson in free agency, and traded for Jake Burger, a man who hit 29 home runs last season. They also added Kyle Higashioka for more depth while they managed to re-sign Nathan Eovaldi. And then on Monday, they brought back Chris Martin to help their bullpen. General manager Chris Young wasn't lying when he said that he'll be adding multiple pieces to the team to get them back to the top where they see themselves.
