Rays Make Shrewd Addition to Pitching Staff, Signing Former Reds Hurler

The Tampa Bay Rays bolster their pitching depth, signing a former Cincinnati Reds hurler.

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

With spring training right on the doorstep, the Tampa Bay Rays have announced another Major League addition to their pitching staff.

As shared by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, the Rays have signed veteran right-handed pitcher Nick Martinez. The two sides have agreed to a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2027.

Martinez has spent the last two seasons with the Cincinnati Reds. Last season, he played under the qualifying offer, earning $21.05 million as a swing man on the pitching staff, making 26 starts and 14 appearances as a relief pitcher.

His production was solid, producing a 2.3 bWAR. He threw a career high 165.2 innings while registering a 4.45 ERA with 116 strikeouts, which tied a single-season high. A 4.33 FIP and 103 ERA+ was produced as well.

Rays sign veteran pitcher Nick Martinez

Oct 1, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Cincinnati Reds pitcher Nick Martinez (28) throws a pitch against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the sixth inning during game two of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

With experience as a starting pitcher and reliever, Martinez is the perfect addition to this Tampa Bay pitching staff. Roles on the pitching staff are currently up for grabs, so having a seasoned veteran who can fill any need will make life a little easier for manager Kevin Cash.

Martinez has been a reliable source of production since coming back to the Major Leagues in 2022 with the San Diego Padres for his age-31 campaign. The four seasons prior to that he spent in Japan.

His Big League career began in 2014 with the Texas Rangers. Four seasons were spent with them before he moved overseas and improved his craft.

#Rays are in agreement with Martinez on a 1-year deal with a 2027 mutual option (that has a buyout). He made $21.05M last year after accepting qualifying offer from #Reds. https://t.co/7XyweVT5JF

— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) February 9, 2026

In his four years back in the MLB, Martinez has made 192 appearances, starting 61 games. He has performed well with a 3.67 ERA, 3.96 FIP, 1.186 WHIP and 117 ERA+ across 524.2 innings pitched.

While he isn’t going overwhelm opponents with dynamic stuff with a 7.04 K/9 ratio, he does a great job of pitching in the zone and avoiding hard contact. His average exit velocity against, walk rate, barrel rate and hard-hit rate allowed are all excellent.

Whether it is out of the bullpen or in the starting rotation, Martinez is a great addition to the Rays’ pitching staff. He offers insurance as a starter with Shane McClanahan set to return to the Big Leagues for the first time since 2023.

Their only Major League addition to the pitching staff to this point had been Steven Matz. Like Martinez, he has yo-yoed between roles on the mound, but his was due to an inability to stay healthy more than anything.