While the Boston Red Sox have no interest in re-signing closer Kenley Jansen after he skipped the final series of the season to return home early, Boston reportedly is interested in bringing back right-handed reliever Chris Martin. The 38-year-old veteran has a 2.16 ERA in 100 appearances for the BoSox the last two years combined. He is expected to be seeking just a one-year deal because he plans on hanging up his cleats after the 2025 campaign. Martin missed some time this past year due to right-elbow inflammation and finished with a 3-1 record, 3.45 ERA (2.78 FIP), a 1.13 WHIP, two saves, 50 strikeouts and only three walks in 44 1/4 innings out of the bullpen. With Jansen unlikely to return to Beantown, too, there's a chance Martin could be used more in save chances in 2025 if he re-signs with Boston for the final year of his career.
Chris Martin Feels Good After Bullpen, Nearing Return
Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Chris Martin (elbow) felt good after his bullpen session on Saturday, according to Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic. McCaffrey further expressed that there is a chance Martin will be activated off the 15-day IL on Wednesday instead of embarking on a rehab assignment. The 38-year-old hit the injured list in early July due to right elbow inflammation. If Martin continues to progress well through the early part of the week, he may avoid a rehab assignment altogether. Prior to the injury, Martin held a 3.42 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, and a 2:29 BB:K ratio. While Martin should return to a high-leverage roll, he could contend for save opportunities as Kenley Jansen has blown two saves in his past five outings.
Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Chris Martin (elbow) was placed on the 15-day injured list on Friday with right-elbow soreness and pitcher Cam Booser was called up from the minors in a corresponding move. At this point, manager Alex Cora doesn't think Martin's injury is serious. Still, the 38-year-old veteran right-hander will be out now through the All-Star break in mid-July after posting five straight scoreless appearances out of Boston's bullpen. When healthy, Martin is a key reliever in the late innings for the BoSox, although he has yet to pick up a save in 2024 after nailing down three saves in 2023. Martin is currently 2-1 with a 3.42 ERA (3.39 FIP) and 1.02 WHIP with 29 strikeouts and only two walks in 26 1/3 innings this year. There's no timetable for a return, but hopefully he can rejoin Boston's bullpen early in the second half of the season.
Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Chris Martin (shoulder) is available ahead of Tuesday's game against the Atlanta Braves. The right-hander was held out over the weekend due to soreness in his shoulder. There was some thought that Martin would be placed on the injured list. Instead, Martin appears to be feeling better and is ready for the series opener versus Atlanta. His return is a significant boost to the Red Sox bullpen.
Boston Red Sox right-hander Chris Martin (shoulder) hasn't pitched since last Wednesday and is a candidate to land on the injured list this week because of lingering soreness in his left shoulder. The Red Sox are concerned the injury will alter his mechanics and lead to issues with his right throwing arm. The good news is that the 37-year-old's injury isn't to his throwing arm, but nevertheless, he may be forced to miss a couple of weeks. The Red Sox have a scheduled day off on Monday, so if Martin does go on the IL, that move will likely come on Tuesday before the series opener against the Braves in Atlanta. Martin has so far gone 1-1 on the season with a 5.11 ERA, 1.38 WHIP and 13 strikeouts in 12 1/3 innings out of Boston's bullpen.
Boston Red Sox relievers Kenley Jansen (back) and Chris Martin (groin) are both scheduled to pitch in Thursday night's Grapefruit League game against the Baltimore Orioles. Jansen didn't make his Grapefruit League debut until last Friday due to lat tightness this spring and then was scratched from a spring appearance earlier this week due to lower-back stiffness. While Jansen is running out of time to be ready for Opening Day on March 28 next Thursday, if he can avoid anymore setbacks with his back, he could still be ready. Martin, who is probably next in line for saves in Boston if Jansen ever misses time, will be making his Grapefruit League debut on Thursday after injuring his groin in early March. Jansen is the active MLB leader in saves, but he's become extremely injury-prone.
The Boston Globe's Peter Abraham writes that right-hander Chris Martin (groin) may not be ready for Opening Day on March 28. Closer Kenley Jansen (back) was scratched from making his second Grapefruit League appearance on Monday, but the team still believes he has a shot to be ready by Opening Day. The 37-year-old Martin threw a live batting practice session in camp on Saturday, but he's running out of time to get ready for the start of the regular season. He's expected to need four spring training appearances in order to be ready for Opening Day. This is notable because Martin figures to be the BoSox's next man up for save chances if Jansen misses any time due to injury in 2024. Given Jansen's recent string of injuries and his age (36), it's likely he's going to miss time at some point. Josh Winckowski is another name that could see save chances early in the year if both Jansen and Martin aren't 100%.
Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Chris Martin (groin) was forced to leave his live batting practice session on Saturday due to injury. Luckily, it sounds like Martin's exit was precautionary and that he'll be fine going forward. The 37-year-old was able to play catch on Sunday without any issues. The Red Sox will likely take it slowly with the right-hander considering it's still early in camp. However, Martin should be back on the mound in a few days. The organization is hopeful for big things from Martin after he posted an excellent season in 2023.
Red Sox Willing To Listen To Offers For Chris Martin, John Schreiber
While the Boston Red Sox have been in trade talks for closer Kenley Jansen this off-season, they are also reportedly willing to listen to offers for setup men Chris Martin and John Schreiber. Martin had an excellent 2023 season but is due $9.5 million in 2024, so a potential trade would seemingly be for monetary reasons. Schreiber's salary is not as taxing and he will not be a free agent until after the 2026 season, so the impetus to trade him may be to potentially clear roster space. Both pitchers posted strong peripherals with notable holds numbers, so they could be fantasy-relevant in deeper saves-plus-holds leagues in 2024, regardless of what teams they play on.
The Boston Red Sox placed right-hander Chris Martin (illness) on the 15-day injured list on Thursday with a viral infection and recalled pitcher Nick Robertson from Triple-A Worcester in a corresponding move. Martin will not be available to finish out the rest of the 2023 regular season this weekend for Boston. The 37-year-old veteran closes out a very impressive year working out of the bullpen, as he finishes with a 1.05 ERA (2.44 FIP), 1.03 WHIP, three saves, 23 holds, just eight walks and 46 strikeouts in 51 1/3 innings in 55 relief appearances in his first year with the team.
