Chris Martin is returning to the Texas Rangers on a one-year contract pending a physical, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.
Right-handed reliever Chris Martin and the Texas Rangers are in agreement on a one-year contract, sources tell ESPN. Martin, 39, posted a 2.98 ERA over 49 appearances with Texas and will return to the staff that had the best ERA in baseball this year.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 16, 2025
The 39-year-old reliever, when healthy, was a key part of the Rangers' bullpen in 2025. He recorded a 1.83 ERA in 22 appearances between March, April, and May before his first IL stint. Martin landed on the injured list multiple times last season, first with shoulder fatigue in May, then with a left calf strain in July, and finally with thoracic outlet syndrome in September. Thoracic outlet syndrome typically requires a lengthy road of rehab, whether the player undergoes surgery or not, so the Rangers will likely take a measured approach with his workload. Martin contemplated retirement following the 2025 season, but recently reversed course, according to Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com.
Martin debuted in 2014 and has pitched for seven teams in his career, with a career ERA of 3.33 across ten MLB seasons. Before joining the Rangers in 2024, Martin pitched for the Boston Red Sox in 2022 and 2023, finishing 12th in the 2023 AL Cy Young voting.
Financial details of the agreement have not been disclosed at the time of this writing.