Luke Jackson was unavailable after getting save chances the previous two nights, so the Rangers were forced to close with their best reliever tonight. Using Martin as a strict closer would be a bad idea, given that he needs a structured workload at age 38. Still, he should get saves from time to time.

With Emiliano Teodo getting optioned out and Jon Gray set for the IL, there shouldn’t be any huge surprises in the Texas pen to begin the year. Martin still seems like the favorite for saves at the moment, though Robert Garcia is a viable alternative, and Marc Church is looking like a sleeper.

The Arlington native, who has said that 2025 would probably be his final season, turned down more money from the Red Sox and likely others to pitch for his hometown team. He previously pitched for the Rangers in 2018 and ’19.

Martin provides the Rangers with a proven high-leverage option and a potential fallback option at closer if they’re unable to re-sign stopper Kirby Yates. The 38-year-old veteran struggled with some physical issues last year with the Red Sox but still managed to record a strong 3.45 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 50/3 K/BB ratio across 44 1/3 innings (45 appearances). He’s made a remarkable 369 relief appearances in the big leagues dating back to 2014. The strikeouts and elite control remain intact, which gives him a shot at fantasy relevance in 2025.