The Athletics are coming off a 76-win campaign that showcased one of the more entertaining young offenses in baseball last season. But while the bats brought energy and excitement to their inaugural year in Sacramento, the pitching staff simply didn’t hold up its end of the bargain. With spring training fast approaching, Oakland has a clear opportunity to address that imbalance-and veteran right-hander Nick Martinez could be exactly the kind of stabilizing presence this rotation needs.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t a splashy move. Martinez isn’t going to headline any offseason highlight reels.
But what he brings is something the A’s desperately lacked in 2025-reliability. Last year with the Reds, Martinez logged 165.2 innings with a 4.45 ERA, striking out 116 while issuing just 42 walks.
He’s versatile, able to start or come out of the bullpen, and he’s been remarkably durable over the past several seasons. That kind of flexibility and consistency can go a long way on a team still trying to find its identity on the mound.
The A’s finished last season ranked 12th in runs scored-a strong showing for a young offense-and 27th in team ERA. That gap tells the story.
Offensively, there’s a lot to like, especially with Jacob Wilson and Nick Kurtz heading into their second seasons. But if Oakland wants to take a real step forward in 2026, they can’t expect to slug their way out of every game.
They need arms. Not just high-upside prospects or reclamation projects-they need innings-eaters who can compete every fifth day.
That’s where Martinez fits in.
This situation feels familiar. Last offseason, the A’s made headlines by signing Luis Severino to the largest free-agent deal in franchise history-a $67 million swing that didn’t exactly connect.
Severino struggled, and his public frustration with pitching in a minor-league park didn’t help matters. If Oakland wants to get the most out of that investment, they need to support Severino with a rotation that doesn’t leave him carrying the load alone.
Martinez, while not a frontline ace, could be a strong No. 2 or No. 3 option, someone who helps stabilize the staff and take pressure off Severino.
Martinez will turn 36 during the season, but he’s shown he can still handle a full workload. He’s thrown over 500 innings across the last four seasons, and that kind of durability is exactly what a young, evolving team like the A’s needs.
He’s not a long-term piece, but he doesn’t have to be. Oakland’s core-particularly on the offensive side-is built around young, cost-controlled talent.
That gives the front office the flexibility to take on short-term deals with upside. A one-year contract for Martinez fits that mold perfectly.
Of course, there’s a bigger name still on the board: Framber Valdez. The left-hander, fresh off a strong run with the Astros, remains unsigned.
With Houston already bringing in Tatsuya Imai, Valdez is clearly headed elsewhere, and teams like the Orioles and Giants have emerged as likely suitors. On paper, Valdez checks every box for the A’s-proven dominance in the AL West, a playoff-tested résumé, and the kind of ace-level presence they’ve lacked for years.
But the reality is, Oakland has never been a team that throws big money at top-tier free agents. Even with their payroll flexibility and a young, inexpensive lineup, they’re not likely to enter a bidding war for Valdez. And with attendance at the bottom of the league in 2025, the front office is understandably cautious about making a major financial commitment before the move to Las Vegas becomes official.
So where does that leave the A’s? In a position to make smart, strategic additions like Martinez.
He’s not a game-changer, but he’s a difference-maker in a rotation that needs depth and experience. And in a wide-open AL Wild Card race, that could be enough to keep Oakland in the mix deeper into the season than most expect.
The A’s don’t need to overhaul their roster-they need to complement what they already have. Signing Martinez would be a step in the right direction: a low-risk, high-value move that gives this team a better shot at turning offensive promise into meaningful wins.
It’s not flashy. But it’s exactly the kind of move that can quietly help a team make noise come September.