The Tampa Bay Rays haven’t been the biggest spenders, nor the most active team this offseason around Major League Baseball. But they have made a few additions.

Gavin Lux, Ben Williamson, Victor Mesa Jr., Justyn-Henry Malloy, Steven Matz, and Jacob Melton are all coming to Tampa Bay this offseason.

Those are some interesting additions, but the Rays could still use some more pitching. And according to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, that’s the Rays’ next move. They’re reportedly signing an innings-eating righty to a free agent deal in veteran Nick Martinez.

Rays to sign vet Nick Martinez to FA deal

MLB insider Jon Heyman reports that, “Nick Martinez to TB Rays, sources tell @Joelsherman1 and me. Pending Physical.”

The Rays adding pitching depth this offseason isn’t a surprise, as there are some question marks about the starting rotation after Drew Rasmussen and Ryan Pepiot.

Shane McClanahan has struggled with injuries, Matz hasn’t been a great pitcher recently, and Joe Boyle is a similar question mark.

Martinez is a 35-year-old veteran pitcher who can eat innings for the Rays. He spent the past two seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, where he was both a starter and reliever for the Reds.

While his 4.45 ERA last season wasn’t the best mark, his 3.10 ERA the year prior was an encouraging mark for the Rays.

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Since coming back from a four-year stint in Japan from 2018 through 2021, Martinez has put up 3.67 ERA across four seasons with 61 starts in 192 games pitched.

He might be more of a reliever than a starter, but his totals the last four years have never fallen below 106.1 innings pitched. This past season, he put up 165.2 innings pitched across 26 starts and 40 games pitched.

Teams need pitchers to throw a lot of innings over the course of a full season, and Martinez has been one of the best innings-eaters in recent years.

He’s a great addition for the Rays’ rotation and pitching staff in need of more arms, and especially innings for the upcoming 2026 MLB season.

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