Rays' Pitcher Wisely Seen as Potential Sell-High Trade Candidate

Which Tampa Bay Rays player is a good sell-high trade candidate?

Sep 26, 2025; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; The hat and glove of Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero (13) in the dugout during the game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. | John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Rays have been playing some excellent baseball to start the season, and a major reason for that has been some of their decisions made this offseason. 

Over the winter, the Rays faced some uncertainty with new ownership taking over and some questions about the direction of the team going forward. Despite new ownership, the main goal for the team is going to be to get a new stadium setup before they really increase spending. 

Tampa Bay operated this winter with business as usual, and that resulted in a lot of trades and some additions in free agency on short-term deals. One of the key areas that the team addressed was the starting rotation. 

The Rays signed multiple veterans to provide the team with some experienced starters and to provide depth. So far, they have exceeded all expectations. Even though Tampa Bay is off to a fantastic start, it could behoove them to sell high on one of them.

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently wrote about some sell-high trade chips. For the Rays, they have one of the top choices in starting pitcher Nick Martinez, who has been off to a fantastic start to the campaign. 

Martinez Certainly a Sell-High Candidate

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Nick Martinez | Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Even though the Rays are currently the best team in the American League, this is a team that is always forward-thinking, and trading a veteran despite their success could be on the table. 

When looking at the roster, one of the top reasons why the team has performed so well has been because of Martinez. After signing him late in the winter, Tampa Bay likely was just hoping that he would be able to be a solid back-of-the-rotation pitcher and eat some innings. With the season about a quarter of the way through, he has done a lot more than that. 

So far, the veteran right-hander has totaled a (4-1) record and 1.70 ERA. With a lifetime ERA of 4.04, there is likely to be some regression for Martinez. As one of the best pitchers in the league so far, he is unlikely to be able to sustain that, making him a good candidate to sell high on. 

The right-hander has a mutual option for next year, which includes a $4 million buyout, which would likely be used at his age. Even though the Rays are playing great, a strong offer for Martinez would be something that they have to consider, with regression likely.