Cincinnati Reds Made Massive Mistake on Nick Martinez

The Cincinnati Reds could have kept Nick Martinez for the same one-year, $13 million contract he signed with the Tampa Bay Rays for 2026. Instead, Martinez moved on and is having one of the best seasons of his career. Cincinnati's rotation would have been a much better unit with him in the mix.

Martinez's performance during the MLB playoffs showed just how big of a mistake the Reds made. Martinez helped Tampa Bay reach the ALCS and delivered a strong Game 4 start against the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday.

He allowed just one run over 5 1/3 innings in a 7-3 victory that tied the series at two games each. He has been one of the more reliable arms in the postseason while the Reds are watching from home.

Martinez finished the 2026 regular season with a 15-6 record, 3.10 ERA and 1.09 WHIP across 31 starts. He tossed 180 innings and struck out 109 batters, giving the Rays reliable length and a consistent presence in their rotation throughout the year.

Those numbers were a slight improvement on his time in Cincinnati. In 2025, Martinez went 11-14 with a 4.45 ERA and 1.21 WHIP over 40 appearances including 26 starts.

However, his 2024 campaign with the Reds had already shown he could reach this level, as he posted a 3.10 ERA across 142 1/3 innings while moving between the rotation and bullpen. The Reds knew what they had. They just chose not to keep it.

The $13 million commitment was not insignificant for a Cincinnati organization that has been careful with spending, but it was a manageable price for an experienced veteran who could start or provide length in relief. The Reds just did not value Martinez enough, and they are paying for it now.

Cincinnati entered 2026 without him and finished 75-87, last in the NL Central and 28 games behind the division-winning Milwaukee Brewers. Martinez's 180 innings and 15 wins will not single-handedly fix a team with as many issues as the Reds had, but his dependable production was exactly the kind of thing Cincinnati was missing. They also certainly could have used the extra depth too, given how many injuries the rotation suffered.

Cincinnati had seen his strengths firsthand and still let him walk for a price they could have matched. That is what stings the most. Martinez is now a key part of Tampa Bay's postseason run while the Reds begin another offseason searching for pitching depth they willingly gave away.