Red Sox sign former Cardinals right-hander Carlos Martinez
Martinez spent nine seasons with the Cardinals
The Red Sox have signed former Cardinals right-hander Carlos Martinez to a minor-league deal, per the team’s transactions log. Prior to the start of the season, the Giants had signed Martinez to a minor-league pact. They released him on April 28th without having thrown a pitch for San Francisco.
Martinez spent nine seasons with the Cardinals. During that time frame he went 62-52 , yielding a 3.74 ERA, making 139 starts with 31 saves in 274 games.
The last two seasons, Martinez has struggled on the mound. Martínez combined for only 102⅓ innings over the last two seasons and, when he was on the mound, posted a 6.95 ERA. Last season, he posted a 6.23 ERA and 4.76 FIP to go along with 57 strikeouts to 36 walks over 16 starts spanning 82 1/3 innings.
His versatility as a starter and someone who can pitch out of the bullpen should be appealing to the Boston. While he can be versatile on the mound, Martinez has been mixed bag of inconsistency while in St. Louis.
Martinez was very good between 2015-2017, where he had a swing-and-miss-slider and his fastball averaged 97 mph. Problems with his shoulder impacted his 2018 and 2019 season. Martinez was primarily utilized as a reliever during that timeframe.
Martinez became a free agent this past offseason after the Cardinals declined his $17 million team option. The Giants quickly swooped in and signed the right-handed hurler.
“As soon as the Giants called me, right away I said yes,” Martínez said through Spanish-language translator Erwin Higueros. “The plan is for me to be what I was five or six years ago. The same pitcher that the fans liked. That’s what we’re going to work on.”
The Red Sox initially signed Martinez back in 2009 as a shortstop out of the Dominican Republic. However, Major League Baseball voided his contract and he then signed with the Cardinals.
The 30-year-old Martinez will get an opportunity with the Red Sox to show he still has something left in the tank. It is expected he will report to Triple-A Worcester to begin his 2022 season.
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Just what the team needs
Another guy that can't pitch but of course the price was right .
Martinez is over the hill ! Really Red
Sox ? Nobody wanted him.
Stick a fork in him