The Boston Red Sox have sputtered out of playoff contention, and the remaining games are bound to seem pointless to the Red Sox unless they enjoy the role of spoiler.
It’s been a season of many ups and downs for Alex Cora’s ball club, but the standout problem has been Boston’s bullpen, which has been among the worst in franchise history. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow will be tasked this winter with rebuilding the Red Sox ‘pen (and starting rotation) to give his team a fighter’s chance by this time next year.
At least a few relievers won’t be retained by Breslow, including some who haven’t been completely awful. Veteran Chris Martin is likely gone. Martin is an upcoming free agent and will be snagged by another team, according to a recent report from FanSided’s Katie Manganelli.
“The 38-year-old is a 10-year MLB veteran who showed he still has elite stuff during his tenure in Boston,” Manganelli said.
“Martin posted a 1.05 ERA over 51.1 innings with the Red Sox last season, the lowest ERA of any qualified pitcher that season. He continued his dominant stretch into the 2024 campaign but came back to Earth later on. Martin has logged a 3.62 ERA with 43 strikeouts and just two walks over 37.1 innings this year.”
“Martin spent significantly more time on the injured list this season than last, but he still has a quality arm. He'll be signed by another club in free agency, but he served the Red Sox well as a reliable, high-leverage relief option for two seasons.”
Given Martin’s respectable production in a Red Sox uniform, Breslow will need to replace him with someone reliable, and hopefully, less injury-prone. Boston better be extremely active this winter if it hopes to end its dreary playoff drought.
