The New York Yankees have met in person at the Winter Meetings with free agent reliever Chris Martin according to Jorge Castillo of ESPN. He spent the last two seasons with the Red Sox and is entering his age-39 season, as he posted a 3.45 ERA with a 27.8% strikeout rate last season with an extremely low 1.7% walk rate. His ability to miss bats, generate soft contact, and fill up the zone make him an attractive high-leverage option, and the Yankees could use some bullpen depth after losing Clay Holmes to the New York Mets alongside having Tommy Kahnle and Tim Hill on the free agent market.
Chris Martin and Yankees Meet in Person At Winter Meetings
While Chris Martin is entering the final stages of his career, he’s remained one of the best relievers in the sport over the last two seasons. Over his two-year deal with the Boston Red Sox, which he signed after the 2022 season, he posted a 2.16 ERA in 100 appearances with a 25.3% strikeout rate and 48.9% GB%, as he served as a high-leverage set-up man who could occasionally close out games depending on the situation.
Only George Kirby has a lower walk rate among pitchers with at least 90 innings pitched over the last two seasons, and his ability to miss bats alongside limiting damage contact could make him a great fit for the Yankees. He throws three different fastballs with a cutter, four-seamer, and sinker to go with his splitter, with all four of his pitches providing various movement profiles for hitters to deal with.
The Yankees are reportedly interested in a reunion with both Tim Hill and Tommy Kahnle, but they are expected to explore various options on the market as they try and upgrade their roster.
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After losing Clay Holmes to the New York Mets the Yankees need bullpen help to round out a roster that is expected to have a lot of new faces in 2025. Losing Juan Soto to their crosstown rivals doesn’t help matters, and they’re bidding aggressively to try and land some talent to boost their pitching staff and roster. After landing Max Fried on a massive eight-year deal, the Yankees have improved their rotation and can move pitching talent to improve other areas of their roster.
It was also reported that the Texas Rangers met with Chris Martin, who are also looking for bullpen upgrades as the pitching market has begun to heat up at the Winter Meetings.