Nick Martinez is headed back into free agency, and this time he’s positioned to cash in again.
After declining his $20 million player option, the 36-year-old right-hander enters the market with a resume that keeps getting teams to bite. He’s already worked through this cycle more than once: he outperformed his original deal with San Diego, opted out and reworked the contract into a three-year, $26 million arrangement, then opted out again the next year and landed with the Cincinnati Reds. After that, he accepted the Reds’ $21.05 million qualifying offer for a third season, returned to free agency once more, and signed a one-year, $13 million deal with Tampa Bay.
Now he’s back on the market after a season that showed exactly why clubs keep coming back. In 2025, Martinez made 31 appearances, posted a 3.10 ERA, a 3.96 FIP, and threw 180 innings while producing 2.9 fWAR. The expectation is that his next deal could land in the $16-22 million average annual value range, with the length likely somewhere between one and three years.
Tampa Bay certainly got its money’s worth. Martinez was a key part of the Rays’ run to the World Series, appearing in four games and making three starts. Over 16 innings, he logged a 2.81 ERA and a 2.16 FIP.
That kind of reliability is exactly what should keep his phone ringing. Martinez has shown he can handle the AL East, and he doesn’t need strikeout-heavy stuff to get outs. For a team looking for steady innings from a pitcher who has already proven he can deliver in big spots, he’s an appealing fit.
One club that could make sense is Atlanta.
The Braves’ projected 2027 rotation lists Chris Sale, Grant Holmes, Bryce Elder, Spencer Strider, and Reynaldo Lopez, but on paper and in practice, that group has been far from settled for Alex Anthopoulos and company. Braves fans would probably tell you they trust very few arms beyond Chris Sale, and even he carries his own questions as he moves toward his age-38 season.
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Braves Fans Have A New Homegrown Bat Worth Watching
Conor Essenburg has quickly become one of the more intriguing names in the Braves system, the kind of homegrown bat that can make a farm report feel a little more relevant to the big-league picture. The 2025 fifth-round pick got off to an injury-shortened start in pro ball, but the early signs of progress have been encouraging, with better hitting, improved plate discipline and more power showing up as he moved through the minors.
A promotion to Rome followed, and that is usually where a prospect starts to separate himself from the pack or fade into the background. Essenburg has done enough to keep drawing attention, and the industry buzz around him suggests there could be something bigger coming if the development keeps trending the right way. For Braves fans looking beyond the current roster, he is the sort of outfielder worth tracking closely as the system searches for the next real breakout. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Payroll Spike Just Sparked An Uncomfortable Roster Debate
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What makes the discussion a little more uncomfortable is the gap between spending and production. Atlanta added $77 million in payroll, but the roster math has not neatly matched the financial outlay, and the teams better season performance does not appear to have been driven directly by higher player salaries. For a club that has built its identity around sustained contention, the question now is whether the extra investment is buying the kind of impact that matters most when the standings tighten. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Would Have To Ignore One Real Concern To Sign Shota Imanaga
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For the Braves, the appeal is obvious enough. Imanaga has been productive and consistent, but the concern is just as clear: his fly-ball profile can make him a tricky fit for clubs that do not want to live with extra damage on mistakes. Teams with more forgiving ballparks may be more willing to look past that, which is why Atlanta would have to decide whether the upside is worth accepting a real risk that has followed him throughout his time in the majors. [Read more 🡒]