Inside The Red Sox

Red Sox Miss Out On Reported Bullpen Target; Returns To AL Rival

Sometimes, you can't beat the comforts of home
Jackson Roberts|
Jun 21, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Chris Martin (55) and catcher Kyle Higashioka (11) celebrate after defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Jun 21, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Chris Martin (55) and catcher Kyle Higashioka (11) celebrate after defeating the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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The bullpen is hardly the most important thing the Boston Red Sox need to address right now, but on Monday, they lost out on a pitcher who was reportedly in their sights.

Chris Martin, who was excellent for the Red Sox out of the bullpen in 2023 and 2024, left Boston to pitch for his hometown team, the Texas Rangers, last offseason. At age 39, there's a chance any season could be Martin's last, but he put up a strong season in Arlington and decided to return for one more.

According to a report on Sunday from Chris Cotillo of MassLive, the Red Sox were recently exploring the potential for a reunion with Martin. However, any push they may have made turned out to have no tangible effect.

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Martin returns to Rangers on one-year deal

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, Martin and the Rangers agreed on a new one-year contract for the upcoming season on Tuesday evening. The Arlington native will celebrate his 40th birthday in June while continuing to play in the comforts of home.

At the time of publication, the length and value of the deal were not yet known. Martin made $5.5 million for the Rangers this past season, which was a worthwhile investment, due to the 2.98 ERA he put up in 42 1/3 innings.

Those numbers paled in comparison, though, to the ridiculous season Martin had in 2023. He pitched to a 1.05 ERA in 55 appearances, and after allowing a solo home run on July 28, he rattled off a streak of 20 straight scoreless outings to finish the season.

Last offseason, it became clear that Martin wanted to be back home, even if the money was better on the Boston side. There's been no reporting that Boston made Martin an offer this time around, but they probably would have had to blow the Rangers out of the water to even have a chance this time around.

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Jackson Roberts
JACKSON ROBERTS

Jackson Roberts is a former Division III All-Region DH who now writes and talks about sports for a living. A Bay Area native and a graduate of Swarthmore College and the Newhouse School at Syracuse University, Jackson makes his home in North Jersey. He grew up rooting for the Red Sox, Patriots, and Warriors, and he recently added the Devils to his sports fandom mosaic. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Boston Red Sox On SI, please reach out to Scott Neville: scott@wtfsports.org

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