Reports: Reds set to sign RHP Nick Martinez to 2-year, $26M deal
The Cincinnati Reds and right-hander Nick Martinez are close to a two-year, $26 million contract agreement, per reports.
The deal is pending the result of a physical and includes an opt-out after 2024, ESPN reported on Thursday.
Martinez, 33, opted out of the final two seasons on his contract with San Diego to enter free agency.
Martinez finished 6-4 with a 3.43 ERA and one save in 63 games (nine starts) for the Padres in 2023.
He is expected to join the Cincinnati rotation. As a starter last season, he posted a 2.32 ERA and 1.078 WHIP.
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He is 27-38 with a 4.31 ERA and nine saves in 198 games (87 starts) with the Texas Rangers (2014-17) and Padres (2022-23). Martinez pitched in Japan from 2018-21.
Former Padre Nick Martinez heading to the Reds
The Padres officially will have to replace one of their more valuable arms
Some San Diego Padres fans like myself woke up to some sad news this morning. Nick Martinez signed with the Cincinnati Reds.
The 33-year-old made 19 starts for the Padres over the past two seasons, earning a 3.41 ERA. He appeared in 91 games as a reliever, posting a 3.48 ERA over 120 innings. Sometimes we don’t realize how impactful someone was until they’re gone and this might end up being the case with Martinez.
When the Padres decided to not bring Martinez back and he switched agents to Scott Boras, it felt like he was headed out of San Diego. But a $13 million AAV doesn’t seem too bad but perhaps they weren’t confident in him being a starter.
Obviously they’re also not in the best spot financially. Juan Soto—for now—is still on the books and according to multiple reporters including Dennis Lin, the Padres have less than $20 million of room. Adding Martinez at this time would take up a lot of their budget.
Now maybe they would’ve brought him back if Soto had already been moved because they’d know for sure that they’ll have more room to spend but A.J. Preller also wants to get this return right and that’s going to take time.
The Yankees reportedly are reluctant to give up their “upper-echelon young talent”, according to Brendan Kuty, so this could take another week or even more.
Meanwhile the Padres are seeing possible free agent targets go to other teams.
