Red Sox 6-Year Veteran Heads to Free Agency After Bumpy 2026

The former Boston Red Sox reliever is now available in free agency.

Feb 17, 2026; Lee County, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Seth Martinez (51) poses for a photo during media day at JetBlue Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Boston Red Sox no longer have six-year big league veteran Seth Martinez in the organization.

Boston signed Martinez to a minor league deal in January of 2026 and had a roller coaster of a stint with the club in just one season. Martinez spent the vast majority of the 2026 season down in the minors. In fact, he made just one big league appearance for Boston. That came on Aug. 11 against the Toronto Blue Jays. He tossed one inning and allowed one run. He was designated for assignment shortly afterward, but he stuck around in the organization. He was outrighted to Triple-A and spent the rest of the season in Worcester. With the offseason now here, he is leaving the organization and officially elected free agency from Boston.

The news was reflected in Martinez's official MLB.com profile.

The Former Red Sox Hurler Is A Free Agent

Feb 17, 2026; Lee County, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Seth Martinez (51) poses for a photo during media day at JetBlue Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When the Red Sox signed the 32-year-old, he was a veteran depth option coming to town seemingly in case injuries popped up. While he didn't do much in the majors for the Red Sox, that doesn't mean that it was a bad deal in the slightest. It's almost impossible to give out a bad minor league deal because they are cheap and there are few strings attached. For Martinez, he's someone who has appeared in 118 total games — including his one outing in 2026 with Boston — in his big league career so far. He spent the first four seasons of his big league career as a member of the Houston Astros. Then, he spent the 2025 season with the Miami Marlins.

Martinez was worth the look from Boston. Back in 2022, he had a 2.09 ERA in 29 games for the Astros. In 2024, he logged a 3.59 ERA in 44 appearances for the Astros in the big leagues. Unfortunately, he didn't have that same level of success in Boston and didn't force the issue to come up to the majors for a consistent role. While in Worcester, Martinez logged a 5.42 ERA in 42 total outings across 74 2/3 innings of action in Triple-A.

The season was a bit of a struggle for Martinez, including his summer DFA. For the Red Sox, they were great in the bullpen regardless. Boston actually had one of the best overall bullpens in the league in 2026. While Martinez didn't play a big role, that didn't impact Boston in the majors. Now, he's heading to the open market.