Chaim Bloom and the Boston Red Sox have clearly identified their No. 1 position to target this offseason, and hit on yet another one Friday, as the team has come to terms with reliever Chris Martin per ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

For the 36-year-old Martin, who split last season between the Cubs and Dodgers, to move to the Red Sox will see him earn $17.5 million over the next two seasons.

Boston’s addition of Martin comes after a second half where the 6-foot-8 righty excelled with the Dodgers, with 34 strikeouts and a 1.46 ERA over 24.2 innings of work in 26 total appearances with Los Angeles. Martin’s regular-season line with the Dodgers also included three victories, two saves, and four holds.

Martin also appeared in two games during the Dodgers’ four-game series loss to the Padres in the 2022 National League Division Series, and earned the save in their only win of the series.

Prior to his trade to Hollywood, Martin appeared in 34 games with the Cubs in 2022, and posted a 4.31 ERA with batters hitting .297 off hm in 31.1 innings on the mound.

One thing that immediately stands out about Martin’s 2022? His ability to throw strikes.

Between Chicago and Los Angeles, Martin issued just five walks over 56 innings of work last season. Should that hold into 2023 (and his career numbers indicate that is should), that’s a huge boost to a Boston bullpen that walked the fifth-most batters in baseball last season, with 268.

Overall, the Texan-born Martin has appeared in 269 MLB games since 2014 between six different organizations, and has posted a 9-16 record with nine saves and 69 holds over that stretch.

Martin was also a member of the 2021 World Series champion Atlanta Braves roster, and posted a 2.08 ERA in a five-appearance run with the Braves that fall.

This won’t be Martin’s first run with the Red Sox organization, as he was in the minor league ranks of the franchise from 2011 through 2013, but was traded to Colorado ahead of the 2014 season.

Martin is the second bullpen arm added to the team’s 2023 arsenal, joining lefty Joely Rodriguez, who was signed to a one-year contract (but with a team option for 2024) in the club’s first move of free agency.

It’s just a few changes to a Sox bullpen that could be full of them next year, with Garrett Whitlock and potentially Tanner Houck as well expected to join Boston’s starting rotation.