The Boston Red Sox already have been one of the most talked-about teams in Major League Baseball with the offseason now here.
Sep 24, 2008; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox seats are empty as warm ups begin before the start of the game against the Cleveland Indians at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images David Butler II-Imagn Images
Boston has said all of the right things since the 2024 season ended. The Red Sox made it known that they were going to be aggressive this winter, and now that the General Manager Meetings, it has been reported even more that Boston is active.
The Red Sox surely will be looking to make a big splash or two this winter, but they also will need to rebuild their bullpen. It sounds like the Red Sox know this and even are hopeful for a reunion with Chris Martin, according to MassLive.com's Christopher Smith.
"Both closer Kenley Jansen and setup man Chris Martin, Boston’s two top relievers the past two seasons, became free agents last week," Smith said. "There’s zero chance the 37-year-old Jansen re-signs with Boston after teammates were disappointed with him for skipping the final series of the year to return home early.
"But the Red Sox appear to have some interest in bringing back the 38-year-old Martin who posted a 2.16 ERA in 100 outings in 2023-24 combined. Martin is expected to seek only a one-year deal because he plans to retire after the 2025 season. 'Obviously it’s pretty clear the value he had,” chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said. 'We saw that when he was pitching and when we didn’t have him available to pitch. And so we know we have some work to do in kind of rebuilding the bullpen and obviously could see there being a fit there.'"
Martin signed a two-year deal with the Red Sox worth $13 million ahead of the 2023 season. The move didn't seem like a game-changer at the time, but Martin completely blew the team away. He logged an eye-popping 1.05 ERA across 55 outings in 2023 and followed it up with a 3.45 ERA in 45 games in 2024.
It makes perfect sense to bring him back for one more year.
