The Rays moved on from two veterans Friday afternoon, declining their mutual contract options with starter Nick Martinez and center fielder Cedric Mullins. Both players are now free agents, just as expected.
The decisions fit the pattern with mutual options, which almost never end with both sides staying attached for another season. They’re usually built into deals to push salary forward, and that extra year tends to work only if the player outperforms the price tag or the club feels the number still makes sense.
In Martinez’s case, Tampa Bay chose a $4 million buyout instead of the $20 million mutual option for next year. He had already earned $9 million this season under the contract he signed in February. MLB Network insider Jon Heyman reported Friday morning that Martinez also turned down his side of the option.
Mullins’ deal played out similarly. He made $7 million this season after signing with the Rays last December, and his contract carried a $10 million mutual option for 2027 with a $500,000 buyout.
Martinez should draw strong interest on the open market after turning in a career year for Tampa Bay. The 36-year-old right-hander went 15-6 with a 3.10 ERA in 180 innings across 31 starts during the regular season, then gave up five runs in 16 innings over four postseason appearances, including three starts.
He also became one of the defining voices in the clubhouse during Tampa Bay’s unexpected run to an American League championship. The Rays won 25 of the 35 games Martinez pitched, and Kevin Cash made clear after Game 5 of the World Series that he saw a direct link between Martinez and the team’s success.
“We spoke to it all season long: He's been the rock of our clubhouse,” Cash said after Game 5 of the World Series, when Martinez warmed up for a relief appearance that never came.
“When you get the name [El] Presidente, that's for good reason. Orchestrating all the dinners, the conversations, the card games, the way he carried himself.
“We were a better team when Nick was on the mound because of how much support that he had from his teammates.”
Martinez, asked about what comes next after Game 5, said it was too early to know where he might land. Still, he was open about how much the experience meant to him.
“I love it here,” Martinez said late Wednesday night. “It’s been great.
Love the guys. Love the organization.
So we’ll see what happens.”
Mullins gave the Rays plenty of value in the field, even if the bat never came around. He logged 502 plate appearances in 137 games, started 122 times in center, and played a major part in the team’s outfield defense taking a step forward. His jumps and routes improved, but he still flashed the kind of athletic ability that can change a game in an instant.
At the plate, though, the numbers stayed rough. Mullins hit .205 with a .628 OPS, along with 15 home runs, 48 RBIs and 21 stolen bases. He was essentially pushed aside by Jonny DeLuca in the postseason, where Mullins made six pinch-hitting appearances and still managed a home run and a stolen base.
Looking ahead, the Rays appear positioned to open next season with DeLuca in center. Jacob Melton is another option, and top outfield prospect Theo Gillen - Rays No. 2 prospect, MLB No. 16 - could enter the mix later in the year. Tampa Bay is also set to bring back Chandler Simpson in left field, Victor Mesa Jr. in right and outfielder Ryan Vilade.
The club still has two option calls to make before Monday. The biggest one is Drew Rasmussen’s $20 million option, a number the Rays have never paid a player for a single season. They also must decide on a $3.1 million club option for shortstop Taylor Walls, though he will stay under team control either way.
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