{"id":384524,"date":"2025-10-17T01:39:10","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T01:39:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/384524\/"},"modified":"2025-10-17T01:39:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T01:39:10","slug":"reds-must-decide-on-retaining-versatile-free-agent-pitcher","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/384524\/","title":{"rendered":"Reds Must Decide on Retaining Versatile Free Agent Pitcher"},"content":{"rendered":"

After a two-year stint with the Cincinnati Reds, Nick Martinez<\/a> is entering free agency. Many are clamoring for the Reds<\/a> to retain his services, while others are comfortable in letting him walk. Let\u2019s dig into his contributions and whether the Reds should let him walk away in free agency.<\/p>\n

\"\"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
\nReds Face Decision on Bringing Back Nick Martinez in Free Agency
\nMartinez\u2019s Role in 2025<\/p>\n

In 2025, Nick Martinez appeared in 40 games: 26 as a starter and 14 as a reliever. It was more of the same back in 2024, where Martinez made 42 appearances with 16 as a starter. In these two seasons, he registered 142 1\/3 and 165 2\/3 innings pitched, respectively.<\/p>\n

Martinez was essentially a Swiss Army knife, as he would fill in as the fifth starter when the rotation was dealing with injuries, play the long reliever role when the bullpen<\/a> needed rest, and come in during high-leverage situations late in the game.<\/p>\n

Standing ovation for Nick Martinez after he took a no-hit bid into the 9th\ud83d\udc4f pic.twitter.com\/bps1626O5j<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Jomboy Media (@JomboyMedia) June 28, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

The Last Two Seasons<\/p>\n

In 2025, Martinez tallied 165 2\/3 innings with a 4.45 ERA. It was good enough for an ERA+ of just 103, ever so slightly above league average. While it is a solid mark, it was much lower than his previous season\u2019s 142 ERA+. In fact, Martinez actually took a significant step back after what could be labeled as a career year in 2024.<\/p>\n

Not only was his ERA a full run higher in 2025, but his FIP was also much higher than it was in 2024, as it was at 4.33 compared to 3.21. Furthermore, his 17.0 K% and 6.1 BB% were both worse than in 2024, where he had a 20.4 K% and a 3.2 BB%.<\/p>\n

Martinez was still able to limit hard contact in 2025, but he was unable to generate chases as much as he would have liked. In 2024, batters chased at a 33.9 Chase%. In 2025, however, that number dropped to just 24.5%. It was a dramatic drop off that went from a league best to a league worst.<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, none of these drop-offs made him a bad pitcher, nor are his 2025 metrics poor by any measure. His 3.99 xERA in 2025 was still solid.<\/p>\n

Martinez\u2019s Splits: Starter vs. Reliever<\/p>\n

As previously mentioned, Martinez splits time between the starting rotation and the bullpen. In 2025, Martinez threw 145 innings as a starter, accumulating a 4.72 ERA and a 4.46 FIP. Out of the bullpen, Martinez threw 20 2\/3 innings with a 2.61 ERA and a 4.39 FIP.<\/p>\n

He was at a similar level in both roles, despite the large discrepancy in ERA. With a near-identical FIP, it tells a much better story than an ERA in a small sample size of 20 2\/3 innings.<\/p>\n

Should the Reds Bring Him Back?<\/p>\n

This brings us to the question of whether the Reds should retain Nick Martinez\u2019s services for 2026 and beyond. Martinez is 35 years old, which can be seen as a negative. His game doesn\u2019t depend on velocity, however, and there have been no signs of him not being able to continue his workload as his age continues to climb.<\/p>\n

The biggest factor seems to be the price and his role. The Reds have an abundance of starting pitching, with young guys like Chase Burns<\/a>, Rhett Lowder<\/a>, and even Chase Petty<\/a> looking to crack the rotation. If they do bring him back, he would most likely be placed in the bullpen, where he would be used in multi-inning opportunities.<\/p>\n

Martinez will likely command north of $10 million a year, and deservingly so. Will the Reds, who aren\u2019t known for spending, be willing to allocate $10 million or more for a bullpen arm? That seems highly unlikely. The Reds have shown the ability to develop bullpen arms out of this air, and they will likely prefer to spend the money on a bat to improve their offense.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Main Photo Credit: \u00a9 Albert Cesare\/The Enquirer \/ USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images<\/p>\n

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