Red Sox Sign Veteran Reliever Coming Off Incredible Stretch To Bolster Bullpen

Boston finally made a good move

Scott Neville | Dec 2, 2022

Red Sox Sign Veteran Reliever Coming Off Incredible Stretch To Bolster Bullpen /

In this story:

Boston Red Sox

It took some time, but the Boston Red Sox finally made a notable addition to the roster, reportedly signing a potential high-leverage bullpen piece on Friday.

"Right-handed reliever Chris Martin and the Boston Red Sox are in agreement on a two-year, $17.5 million contract, pending physical," ESPN's Jeff Passan tweeted.

The 36-year-old had strong season-long statistics -- 4-1 with a 3.05 ERA, an asinine 74-to-5 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .230 batting average against and 0.98 WHIP in 56 innings of work -- but reached another tier and became almost untouchable after being traded from the Chicago Cubs to the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 30.

With the Dodgers Martin went 3-1 with a 1.46 ERA, 34-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .135 batting average against and a 0.53 WHIP in 24 1/3 innings.

The strong closeout to the season was enough to catch Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom's attention.

After failing to prioritize the bullpen in seasons past, it's good to see Bloom putting up a semi-notable offer to a reliable, proven arm -- something the fans have clamored for since his arrival.

Martin could end up being the Red Sox's closer, though ideally he'd fit in as more of a setup man, similar to Adam Ottavino's role in 2021.

Regardless, the addition of Martin could start a wave of moves set to be made as the hot stove heats up.

More MLB: Red Sox Outbid By Low-Budget Rays In Failed Attempt To Upgrade Pitching Staff

Published Dec 2, 2022

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu