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.
In Other News...
Rays Face Several Roster Calls That Could Shape Their Contender Window
The Rays are heading into the offseason with a familiar kind of pressure, the sort that comes with trying to stay competitive while sorting through a roster full of moving parts. Free agency and trade talk are already circling around names like Nick Martinez, Freddy Peralta, Drew Rasmussen and Taylor Walls, and the front offices choices could say a lot about how it wants to build around its next contender window.
There is plenty of intrigue beyond the obvious pitching questions, too, because Tampa Bays decisions will not be made in a vacuum. Analysts are already weighing possible trade scenarios and the clubs broader roster priorities, while the conversation around the Rays future has even spilled into award speculation for Kevin Cash, Bryan Baker and Junior Caminero after the 2026 season. For a team that usually lives on the edge of every roster move, this winter could shape more than just the next opening day group. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Offense Just Earned The Respect Fans Waited All Year For
The Rays lineup is getting some overdue recognition after a season that had a little bit of everything, from power to speed to enough production to keep opposing pitchers busy all year. Junior Caminero and Chandler Simpson were both named finalists for the American League Silver Slugger Awards, and the club is also in the mix for American League Offensive Team of the Year, a nod that says plenty about how often Tampa Bay made life difficult for defenses.
Caminero put together a monster year at third base, finishing with 42 home runs and 101 RBIs while earning his second straight All-Star selection. Simpson brought a different kind of value from the outfield, hitting .306 and leading the league with 46 stolen bases, giving the Rays a balanced attack that stood out in more than one way. The winners will be announced on Nov. 17, and Tampa Bay has a real chance to turn a strong offensive season into hardware. [Read more 🡒]
Cubs Suddenly Loom Over One Major Rotation Decision
The Rays have already made one significant move to stabilize their future by picking up Drew Rasmussens contract option, a clear sign they see him as a rotation anchor in 2027. For a club that has built so much of its identity around staying competitive while juggling roster turnover, locking in a dependable starter is a meaningful step, especially with the pitching staff likely to look different before long.
Freddy Peralta is one of the names hanging over that picture, and the market points toward a departure that would leave a real hole in the rotation picture. Tampa Bay also has other arms headed toward free agency, so the front office is staring at another familiar challenge: how to replace proven innings without slipping out of contention, and how aggressively it will need to act if it wants to keep the staff from thinning out further. [Read more 🡒]