Veteran reliever Chris Martin turned 38 in June and is a free agent at season’s finish, however the Crimson Sox righty tells MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith that he nonetheless intends to play in 2025. Subsequent yr, nonetheless, will “95%” be his ultimate season, per Martin himself. The towering 6’8″ righty discusses the choice at size in an interview with Smith that followers will need to learn in full for a large slate of candid quotes. Broadly, Martin cites a rising household — his spouse is pregnant with their fourth baby — and the growing toll the sport can tackle one’s bodily and psychological well being within the latter levels of a profession for his plan to wrap issues up after the ’25 marketing campaign.
Martin has had separate IL stints in 2024 for a left (non-throwing) shoulder damage, proper elbow irritation and nervousness. He’s been efficient when on the mound, posting a 3.35 ERA in 40 1/3 innings. As is typical for the massive righty, he’s missed bats at an above-average degree and proven off maybe one of the best command in all of Main League Baseball. Martin has punched out 28.8% of his opponents and issued walks at a microscopic 1.2% clip. That’s a sensational mark even by his personal lofty requirements, however Martin’s profession 3.2% stroll fee (and a pair of.7% mark since 2021) has lengthy illustrated his elite means to find the ball.
Whereas Martin has misplaced a mile per hour off his four-seamer this season amid these accidents, he’s nonetheless checking it a mean of 94.7 mph with the pitch. The marginally lowered fastball hasn’t adversely impacted him all that a lot; his 11% swinging-strike fee is correct in step with final season’s mark, and his opponents’ 79.7% contact fee is down ever so barely from final yr’s 80% mark. If something, his four-seamer has been more practical this yr. Opponents hit .313 off the pitch and slugged .521 in opposition to it final yr. These marks are right down to .241 and .389 in 2024. Martin’s sinker has been hammered by opponents this season, and he’s begun to throw it much less often in consequence (8.7% in ’24 in comparison with 15% in ’23). That’s contributed to a dip in ground-ball fee (51% final yr, 44% this yr), however the general mix of whiffs, command and grounders stays an efficient bundle for the nine-year massive league veteran.
Notably, Martin didn’t tackle whether or not that ultimate season would include the Crimson Sox or with one other membership. It’d be a shock if the Sox didn’t need him again, given how effectively he’s pitched beneath his present two-year, $17.5MM deal. He’s delivered 91 2/3 innings of two.06 ERA ball with plus strikeout and stroll charges — all whereas piling up 37 holds and 5 saves alongside the best way.
There’ll, after all, be widespread curiosity in Martin — as one would count on primarily based on his general monitor report. He’s rattled off six straight seasons with a sub-4.00 ERA and twice posted sub-2.00 marks in that stretch. General, Martin has a 2.79 earned run common, 83 holds and 13 saves relationship again to 2019. Given his age and present plans to name it a profession after the 2025 season, one would think about he’ll prioritize signing with a contender in hopes of including a second World Sequence ring to match the one he earned with the 2021 Braves.
[Related: 2024-25 MLB Free Agent List]
Martin can have loads of competitors on the aid market, however the truth that he’ll presumably restrict himself to one-year presents ought to create a big selection of suitors. He’ll be one of many high leverage relievers in the marketplace. Names like David Robertson, A.J. Minter, Yimi Garcia, Andrew Kittredge and Tommy Kahnle (to call just a few) have had good seasons working primarily in a setup capability. Kirby Yates, Carlos Estevez, Clay Holmes, Aroldis Chapman and teammate Kenley Jansen are among the many impending free brokers who’ve spent a notable portion of the 2024 season working as a better.
