Red Sox's Seth Martinez Gets Next Steps After Boston DFA

Will Martinez stay in the organization?

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

Seth Martinez's time on the Boston Red Sox's 40-man roster was short-lived, but his story with the organization might not yet be fully told.

Martinez pitched the eighth inning of Tuesday night's game, with the Red Sox trailing 4-3 against the Toronto Blue Jays. It was an unsuccessful gambit from interim manager Chad Tracy to try to save the higher-leverage guys in the bullpen, and it waws a foretelling of a tough fate for Martinez.

On Wednesday, the Red Sox designated Martinez for assignment, making him available to the other 29 teams to claim. But he passed through waivers, and according to the official transactions log, the Red Sox outrighted him to Triple-A Worcester on Friday.

Are Red Sox able to keep Martinez long-term?

Jul 5, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Houston Astros pitcher Seth Martinez (61) pitches against the Minnesota Twins during the third inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The 31-year-old Martinez has been outrighted multiple other times in his career, including last September by the Miami Marlins. So in theory, he could elect free agency and take a chance on signing with another organization.

For the Worcester Red Sox this season, Martinez put up a 5.55 ERA and struck out 49 batters in 60 innings. Those aren't the numbers of a guy many major league teams are clamoring to sign, but give the amount of past major league experience Martinez has, it's not out of the question that he could land on his feet somewhere.

In 118 career major league games, Martinez owns a very respectable 4.03 ERA. His best seasons came with the Houston Astros, as he had 0.8 bWAR in 2022 and 0.5 bWAR in 2024 in a part-time bullpen role.

The Red Sox called up Alec Gamboa to take Martinez's spot on the active roster for Wednesday's game. It's the middle of a long stretch of too many games, and to make matters worse, star setup man Garrett Whitlock just went on the injured list with a tired elbow.

It would be a minor surprise for the struggling Martinez to make an impact on the rest of the Red Sox's season, but as of Friday night, the door is still open for him to do so if he accepts the outright assignment.