If you’re ever worried about how Major League Baseball is doing, don’t look at the mega contracts for the superstars.

Look at the contracts for guys like Nick Martinez.

Martinez is a useful, swingman-type pitcher who is in his mid-30s. He’s a free agent from the Cincinnati Reds.

And he’s projected by ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel to get a two-year, $30 million contract in free agency.

“Martinez took the (qualifying offer) last winter — a one-year, $21.05 million deal — even when many thought he had a decent multiyear market, just probably not at that AAV,” McDaniel writes. “His peripherals regressed in 2025 — a lower strikeout rate, higher walk rate and higher home run rate — so he now falls into the bucket of a steady, veteran innings eater. That group comes with a high salary floor (tons of teams will pay eight figures a year due to the bulk innings) but also a ceiling; I can’t see him getting more than two years.”

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McDaniel doesn’t predict what team Martinez will go to, but a return to the Reds would make some sense. Cincinnati has a bunch of pitchers hitting free agency, and Martinez has been very reliable for them.

Cincy has to decide upon its goals for this offseason, too. Will the Reds try to make major splashes? Or will they refine around the edges and focus on getting guys like Martinez back in the fold?

Cincinnati snuck into the playoffs with the final wild card spot but were quickly dispatched of by the Dodgers. On paper, that would say they’re good but not good enough.

Signing Martinez back wouldn’t be the whole solution, but it wouldn’t hurt. And Martinez’s bank account sure won’t be hurting this offseason, either.

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