Insider Suggests Reds Veteran as Free Agent Target to Bolster Cardinals Rotation

Arms are needed in St. Louis to get through the 2026 season.

Jul 22, 2025; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; General view of Cincinnati Reds hat during the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | Brad Mills-Imagn Images

With Game 7 of the World Series set for Saturday night at Rogers Centre, the 2025 MLB season is officially winding down, and for the St. Louis Cardinals, the real work begins once the final out is recorded.

After another disappointing year, the Cardinals head into the 2025-26 offseason with more questions than answers, particularly when it comes to their starting rotation. With Sonny Gray reportedly on the trade block, President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom will need to find reliable arms to fill key spots for 2026.

According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, one intriguing free-agent option for St. Louis could be Cincinnati Reds right-hander Nick Martinez.

Cardinals Could Turn To Familiar Target in Nick Martinez

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Nick Martinez (28) walks for the dugout after being pulled in the sixth inning of the MLB National League Wild Card Game 2 between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2025. The Reds were eliminated from the postseason with an 8-4 loss to the reining World Series Champions La Dodgers. | Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“When the right-hander returned from Japan after the 2021 season, the Cardinals were one of the teams that expressed interest and attempted to sign him, but he landed a better deal with San Diego,” Goold wrote. “Martinez spent this past year with the Reds after accepting a one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer.”

Martinez, 35, could provide exactly what the Cardinals’ pitching staff with a durable veteran capable of working both as a starter and reliever. In 2025, he went 11–14 with a 4.45 ERA over 40 appearances (26 starts), logging 165 ⅔ innings and 116 strikeouts.

This type of move fits perfectly with Chaim Bloom’s approach — affordable, flexible, and smart. Martinez would bring value as a fifth starter or long reliever, offering depth without requiring a long-term commitment.

The Cardinals’ biggest weakness in 2025 was their starting pitching depth, and Martinez could help stabilize things while Bloom works to rebuild the rotation for 2026. A cheap one-year deal could make sense for both sides, giving the Cardinals a low-risk veteran presence who can eat innings and mentor younger arms.

Adding an arm like Martinez could also pay dividends for the development of younger pitchers such as Matthew Liberatore and Michael McGreevy, both of whom are expected to compete for rotation spots next spring. His experience across MLB and Japan makes him a valuable clubhouse leader as St. Louis transitions into a new era.

The Cardinals signed only Phil Maton last offseason, but Bloom and the front office are expected to be far more active this winter.

For Cardinals fans hoping to see a different roster next year, this kind of smart, budget-friendly signing could be exactly the start they’ve been waiting for.

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