The Cubs are in agreement with right-hander Chris Martin on a one-year deal, per Jon Morosi of MLB Network. The deal comes with a $2.5MM guarantee, along with $500K in performance bonuses and a $250K roster bonus. (Twitter links)
Martin, 36 in June, certainly didn’t have a textbook path to the big leagues. For the incredible full story, check out this 2019 piece from Tim Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. In short, Martin thought his baseball career was ended by a 2006 shoulder surgery. Years later, while working at Lowe’s and UPS, a game of catch with a friend made him realize that his shoulder no longer caused him pain, putting Martin back on his baseball trajectory.
After getting back on the mound in indy ball, he signed a minor league deal with the Red Sox in 2013. After being traded to the Rockies, Martin made his MLB debut in 2014, just a few weeks before his 28th birthday. He didn’t especially impress with the Rockies that year or with the Yankees in 2015, but went over to Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league and excelled over the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
He came back to North America in 2018, signing a two-year deal with the Rangers. After a decent first year in Texas, 2019 was a tremendous breakout for him, as he threw 55 2/3 innings with an ERA of 3.40, strikeout rate of 30.1% and walk rate of just 2.3%.
The Braves, who had acquired Martin from the Rangers midway through that season, signed Martin to a two-year, $14MM contract prior to the 2020 season. He largely maintained his strikeout and walk rates that year, at 30.3% and 4.5%, but had his ERA plummet to an even 1.00 in the small sample of 18 innings.
Things didn’t go so smooth for Martin in 2021, however, as some injuries seemed to limit his effectiveness. In 43 1/3 innings, he still kept his walk rate incredibly low at 3.3%, but his strikeout rate plummeted all the way down to 18.2%. Despite that, he still managed to keep his ERA at a reasonable 3.95 level for the year.
He didn’t crack the club’s roster for the NLDS but was added for the NLCS and ended up throwing 4 1/3 innings in the postseason, continuing to find success without racking up strikeouts. His ERA was 2.08 in that small sample, with a strikeout rate of 17.6%, and not a single walk, helping the club win the World Series.
For the Cubs, their big fire sale at last year’s deadline involved Craig Kimbrel, Ryan Tepera and Andrew Chafin heading out of town. The bullpen took another hit recently when Codi Heuer underwent Tommy John surgery. That left Rowan Wick and Brad Wieck as the only projected members of the bullpen with more than one year of MLB service time. With the recent additions of Jesse Chavez and now Martin, they’ve bolstered their young relief corps with some veteran presence.
Do the Cubs think they could do something?
That’s a coldplay.
I’m just playing. They keep adding and they’ll be competing for the division but Brewers and Cardinals will be tough
You are forgiven. You never know with the expanded wild card. It might take just 85 wins.
They have a lot of payroll space so they can keep adding. Doesn’t look like Jed will go long term until some of their prospects are ready. Jed also seems like he doesn’t need to win the auction like Theo did.
Theo and Jed have been good at cobbling together bullpens over the years.
They have. Cubs are ran very good
Do the Mets think they could do something?
That budget and the big offensive adds are Escobar, Canha, Marte (who already has oblique soreness from the expectations)?
The Mets have a better roster than Braves. I’m not worried at all about this year. Unless injuries happen
Sure said that a lot already metfan22 not sure anyone puts stock in what you say
I’m pretty sure a ton of people already have Metsfan22 muted. His delusional takes are entertaining to me.
So the Mets being the best in the NL east is delusional?
The Mets being the best in the NL East may or may not be delusional, but it certainly would be a change of pace – it would be the first time since 2015 and only second time since 2006.
yes
Even if they don’t plan on “competing” they can still take a flyer on some for either future talent or flipping for future talent at the deadline. They did that very well with players like Scott Feldman, Jason Hammell…
I was joking bc everyone said they would rebuild. But I think they will try to compete and be a playoff team
And do too, the rotation is already better even if Azolay misses significant time. Need at least one more sp, a couple more rp like this guy, and a few bats. They have over 100 mill in free cap space, no excuses to not try and be competitive. The division is not good
They’re going to get a massive fan revolt if they don’t do a lot more than this. I’m already checking out White Sox hats myself.
You sound like a bitter Sox fan already. This must be ChiSoxCity’s burner.
You are not fooling anyone. Right now you are wearing your Frank Thomas Uni-jamas drinking a juice box and begging momma for another fudge round.
Lol, good jokes dudes. I could never bring myself to actually cheer for the Sox but as we all know the only thing that makes a Sox fan is spite for the Cubs and I might get close if we open with the current roster. I’m definitely not going to feel like giving the Ricketts any of my cash until they open the purse strings.
I get what you’re saying. I felt that way to extent last year during the off-season fire sale and only getting Joc in the end. I don’t live in Chicago anymore so I CAN actually root for them as a baseball fan especially since the current crew doesn’t seem to have any polarizing bad apples (except Tony).. Made it easier when Kimbrel went over but I had further disdain the way LaRussa disprespected Kimbrel’s usage.
The FO seems to have had decent luck on bullpen signings so I’m liking this one. 85 wins may do it and if Schwisdom recaptures some of that performance, Happ is not streaky, and should they extend Contreras they might have enough luck to get that 12th playoff spot.
I’m sorry, but why should we have to do that though? Why should we have to pray for .500 on the backs of some 30yo journeymen? We are one of the biggest market teams in the sport, we are $100 million below the salary cap right now. 3 of our World Series heroes are sitting out there unsigned and at this point all 3 could be had without crippling the future one bit. It boggles my mind that fans seem OK with this. Jed has gotten too cute and the solution is staring us in the face. FFS!
“I will try….to fix you” – chris martin
this is the comment I needed…
If he pitches well, “this could be paradise” for the Cubs.
I find his play to be cold, goopy and yellow.
IMO the best of a strong group of coldplay comments
The Cubs are living up to their promise of not going into full rebuild mode and spending wisely this year. I’m surprised they have done as much as they have honestly. The Stroman contract was completely unexpected. It sounds like they have more spending to do on their offense as well, namely first base and the OF. If all breaks right for them, they could potentially be a surprise wild card team, but that is a big if.
They are going to give Schwindel a full opportunity to be the everyday 1B before committing a contract to a FA first baseman.
Schwindel played less than half a season but his numbers were on par with the best. I really do think he and Wisdom are solid. Still need that Correa type bat and a couple ofs tho. However I fully believe in Davis to be a star when he is called up
Yes. Any thoughts of playoffs seem far fetched to me as well but ya never know… I would add that I think the Carlos Core rumors were mostly smoke. One of the strengths in their farm system are are some potentially strong young, shortstop talent. Unless of course, Jed uses some of that to acquire pitching which is still their greatest need.
“How badly do you want to be a Cub?”
“For you I’d bleed myself dry.”
“Deal.”
Oh my God…Everything Cubs are news, the jealous geriatric White Sucks need to comment, since NOBODY enter their sites less comment there.
Did someone really shoot an apple off his head? Doesn’t sound safe
It appears my son has skipped school yet again and is smashing the Monster sports drinks again. I apologize everyone.
You’re a worthless father
I apologize everyone. My dad is showing signs of senility. Dad, if you don’t stop taking off your Depends overnight, I’m putting you in a home.
I guess that means he’s calling his tour off.
There is low hanging fruit and then there is fruit laying on the ground.
Loved this guy in atlanta. Cubs got a good guy.
Cubbies clearly need pitching Cashman – we have pitching to trade. We need a catcher, they have Willson Contreras. I say it’s love at first sight – make the marriage happen!
Jed can probably wait until the deadline again.
Trading Wilson at this point seems completely counter productive. It appears they are trying to put a quality product on the field and see what happens. Hoyer doing a great job.
Chris Martin is likely the closer going forwards. He’s definitely the guy I would use in that bullpen. He doesn’t walk anyone and usually can get enough strikeouts along with groundballs.
What’s his velocity?
He averages about 95 on his four seam fastball.
They say his fastball goes flying at the speed of sound…