Not long ago, it seemed like Martin was on his way out the door. Just over a year ago, in September 2024, he said he was 95% sure that 2025 would be his last season. He turned 39 in June and made several trips to the wounded list during the campaign. The first IL stint was in May due to shoulder fatigue, followed by a second in July due to a calf strain. Most ominously, his season was ended in late September due to a diagnosis of thoracic outlet syndrome.
All things considered, it was reasonable to assume he would hang up his nails. But just a few days ago it was reported that he planned to pitch in 2026. His current health status is unknown, but the Rangers likely feel good about what he can contribute next year.
When he was healthy enough to take the mound in 2025, his results were still good. In the mid-1990s he was still averaging with his four-seam and sinker, while also mixing in a cutter, splitter, slider and knuckle curve. Long one of the best control pitchers in the Majors, he threw 42 1/3 innings while walking just 4.6% of batters. He also struck out 24.7% of opponents and got grounders on 42.6% of balls in play. Add it all up and he allowed 2.98 earned runs per nine innings for the year.
The Texas front office has faced some budget constraints in recent years. Last winter, they assembled their bullpen primarily through a series of small one-year deals. In addition to Martin, they also signed Hobby Milner, Luke Jackson, Jacob Webb And Shawn Armstrong. That ended up working out quite well, as the Texas Bullpen was quite good in 2025. But since they were limited to one-year deals, almost the entire bullpen hit free agency at the end of the season.
They are trying to rebuild the relief corps by 2026, but it appears they are once again operating with limited resources. They recently signed links Tyler Alexander a modest contract for one year. They reportedly have an agreement with that as well Alexis Diaz. The figures for that deal have not yet been announced, but they are certainly on the low side. Martin made $5.5 million in 2025. Given his age and the injuries he suffered in 2025, he shouldn’t be in line for a big raise, if any at all.
Grid source currently the Rangers are expected to have a payroll in 2026 that is about $50 million lower than in 2025, but since they are expected to spend less on next year’s team, they should have less than $50 million to work with. They want to strengthen the rotation and add a righty bat, but further building out the bullpen is also on the to-do list.
Photo courtesy of Lon Horwedel, D. Ross Cameron, Imagn Images
#Rangers #set #resign #Chris #Martin