Yankees Predicted to Sign Versatile Veteran Pitcher

The New York Yankees could make a push to sign a veteran right-handed pitcher who has some flexibility in terms of his role.

As part of MLB Trade Rumors' free agency predictions for the top 50 players in this year's class, one of the four writers on their panel in Darragh McDonald guessed that the Yankees will end up signing Nick Martinez away from the Cincinnati Reds this offseason.

"Martinez has spent the past four years as baseball’s ultimate swingman," the site wrote. "He’s capable of decent results as a back-end starter or as a high-leverage reliever. That continued in 2025 with the Reds. Overall, he gave the Reds 165 2/3 innings with a 4.45 ERA. That included a 4.72 ERA in 26 starts and a 2.61 ERA in 14 relief appearances."

Martinez's contract projection, per MLB Trade Rumors, came in at two years and $25 million.

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. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Martinez's Versatility

Since returning to MLB after a four-year stint overseas in Japan with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters (2018-2020) and the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks (2021), Martinez has pitched extensively both out of the rotation and the bullpen.

Spending the 2022 and 2023 campaigns as a member of the San Diego Padres before playing for the Reds each of the past two years, Martinez was primarily used as a reliever by the former and as a starter by the latter.

In total, the 35-year-old has pitched to a 4.10 ERA in 61 starts and 329 innings over that four-year span while owning a 2.94 ERA across 195 2/3 frames out of the bullpen.

Martinez Would Fit Yankees Perfectly

Considering the Yankees need someone to come in and fill some innings before Carlos Rodón and Gerrit Cole are ready to return from their respective injuries, Martinez's versatility would provide the perfect solution.

Though it's not always easy to switch from starting games to pitching out of the bullpen midseason, Martinez has proved himself capable of doing just that at a high level over the past few years.

New York could always just opt to keep Martinez in the rotation should it sign him depending on how he performs to begin the season, but having him start a handful of games and then serving as a reliever the rest of the way once Rodón and/or Cole are back in action feels like the right move for a club that could use a veteran of his caliber in more ways than one.

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