Veteran right-hander Nick Martinez is accepting the Qualifying Provide from the Reds, in line with a report from Francys Romero. Martinez will stay with Cincinnati for the 2025 season on a one-year, $21.05MM deal.
Martinez, 34, was a considerably stunning recipient of the QO after a powerful inaugural season with the Reds. The best-hander joined the membership on a two-year, $26MM assure final winter after each he and the Padres opted out of their simultaneous choices for the 2024 marketing campaign, making him a free agent. The cope with Cincinnati proved to be one thing of a coup for the Reds, as Martinez turned in a wonderful 3.10 ERA and three.21 FIP over 142 1/3 innings of labor in a season that noticed him break up his time between the beginning rotation and the bullpen.
Whereas the righty posted completely dominant numbers in aid, sporting a 1.86 ERA in 53 1/3 frames out of the bullpen, his 3.84 ERA throughout 16 begins noticed him flash the flexibility to be a top quality rotation piece. A better take a look at Martinez’s work this season reveals that he struggled badly out of the rotation early within the yr, with a 5.46 ERA by means of the tip of April. He ended the yr on a dominant observe after returning to the rotation in early August, nonetheless, with a 2.42 ERA in 63 1/3 innings throughout 11 begins down the stretch. That wonderful late-season efficiency may encourage extra confidence in Martinez’s skills as a rotation piece looking forward to 2025, though it’s price noting that his strikeout price (22.5% vs 19.1%) and groundball price (42.8% vs 33.7%) have been each higher out of the bullpen than the rotation this yr.
Extra to come back…
