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Chris Martin Retires

Originally posted on MLB Trade Rumors
By Darragh McDonald | Last updated Nov 11, 2026 3:43 PM ET

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Veteran right-hander Chris Martin has retired as a player, per Robert Murray of FanSided. He pitched in 11 different MLB seasons for seven different clubs and also spent a couple of years in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball.

It’s not a shock that Martin is hanging up his spikes. Back in September of 2024, he said that he was 95% sure that 2025 would be his last season. In the end, the 5% won out, as Martin returned to the Rangers for the 2026 campaign. But he made multiple trips to the injured list this year due to a shoulder impingement and had poor results in the 16 games he did play. He was released in August.

Martin was born and played high school ball in Texas. The Tigers drafted him out of high school in 2004 but he didn’t sign and went to McLennan Community College. The Rockies drafted him in 2005 and went the draft-and-follow route, when that type of strategy was still allowed. Martin then required surgery on a torn labrum in shoulder. The Rockies opted not to sign him. He went undrafted in 2006 and then started his professional career in independent ball.

Due to continued shoulder troubles in indy ball, Martin thought his career was over. He took odd jobs for places like UPS, Lowe’s and an appliance warehouse. A game of catch behind that warehouse led to Martin discovering that his shoulder felt better, so he tried baseball again. After some time in indy ball, he was able to get a minor league deal with the Red Sox in 2011.

He was traded to the Rockies in 2013 and made his major league debut with that club in 2014, though it didn’t go especially well. Martin posted a 6.89 earned run average over 16 appearances that year. In the offseason, he was designated for assignment and flipped to the Yankees for cash. The change of scenery didn’t help much, as Martin had a 5.66 ERA over 24 appearances for the Yanks that year.

Martin then went overseas to pitch for the Nippon-Ham Fighters in NPB. He dominated in his two seasons for the Fighters, tossing 88 1/3 innings with a miniscule 1.12 ERA. That was enough to get him a two-year, $4MM deal with the Rangers heading into the 2018 season.

His major league results this time were better than a few years prior but still not outstanding. Martin finished that 2018 season with a 4.54 ERA. He showed off the elite control that would become his standout trait, walking just 2.8% of opponents, but his 20.9% strikeout rate and 40.5% ground ball rate were subpar.

He unlocked a new level in 2019. That was the “juiced ball” season with home run records set throughout the league but Martin fared well, getting traded to Atlanta at that year’s deadline. He finished the season with a 3.40 ERA, 30.1% strikeout rate, 2.3% walk rate and 50% ground ball rate. Atlanta re-signed him by giving him a two-year, $14MM deal. Over the course of that pact, he threw another 61 1/3 innings with a 3.08 ERA. He made five appearances in the 2021 postseason, helping Atlanta win the World Series.

He continued to post strong results from there, pitching for the Cubs, Dodgers, Red Sox and Rangers. From 2022 through 2025, he pitched 194 innings for those clubs with a 2.60 ERA, 27.4% strikeout rate, 3.1% walk rate and 47.4% ground ball rate. As mentioned, he tried to keep it going into 2026 but that didn’t work out.

He certainly took an unusual path to get there but Martin ultimately appeared in 434 major league games with a 3.53 ERA, 409 strikeouts, 55 walks, 120 holds and 16 saves. Baseball Reference pegs his career earnings at just over $48MM, not too shabby for a former warehouse employee. MLBTR congratulates Martin on a unique career and wishes him luck with whatever is coming around the next turn.

This article first appeared on MLB Trade Rumors and was syndicated with permission.

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