The Rays have never been the kind of team to chase the biggest name on the market, and last winter fit that mold again. Instead of making a splash, Tampa Bay brought in Nick Martinez on a one-year, $13 million deal - and got far more than a stopgap arm.
Martinez, 36, has spent much of his career bouncing between the rotation and the bullpen with the Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres and Cincinnati Reds. In Tampa Bay, though, he was pushed near the front of the club’s top five, and that move produced the best season of his career.
In his first full season as a starter, Martinez went 15-4 with a 2.94 ERA, a 144 ERA+ and a 1.07 WHIP across 171 ⅓ innings. That performance also earned him his first All-Star selection.
“Martinez is 15-4 with a 2.94 ERA (144 ERA+) and 1.07 WHIP in 171 ⅓ innings in his first full season as a starter. He's been a valuable swingman before, but never this productive as a rotation man, and he earned his first All-Star berth as a result,” Matt Snyder of CBS Sports wrote.
Snyder also made the case that Martinez’s value goes well beyond a one-year arrangement. “Martinez is 36 years old, so he's not going to break the bank or anything here, but he's definitely deserving of a multi-year deal and a guaranteed rotation spot after this season,” Snyder added.
That makes the mutual option feel like a tough sell for Martinez, especially with the chance to do much better financially in free agency.
There’s also the age and workload question hanging over all of it. Martinez turns 37 next August, and he has already logged a career-high 171.1 innings.
Tampa Bay will still need him sharp for the postseason, but there’s at least reason to wonder whether the innings are beginning to add up.
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