Nick Martinez
#28 SP · Rays
Height
6'1"
Weight
200 lbs
Age
35
College
Fordham
Draft
2011, Rd 18, #564
Experience
8 yrs
Bats/Throws
L/R
D+
C
D
—
Fan Verdict
Grade this player:
Career StatsC
| Year | Team | GP | ERA | W-L | K | WHIP | IP | SV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career |  | 285 | 4.0917525 | 49-60 | 690 | 1.2958763 | 0.0 | 9 |
Current Contract
Length
1 year
Total Value
$13.0M
Guaranteed
$7.8M
AAV
$13.0M/yr
Guaranteed %60%
Contract Value Index (CVI)
D+
Below Value
OverpayFair ValueGreat Value
The Rays' one-year, $13M commitment to Nick Martinez earns a D+ CVI, representing a puzzling overpay for a franchise typically celebrated for extracting maximum value from every dollar spent. While Martinez has evolved into an above-average starter who can capably anchor the back of a rotation, paying $13M annually for that production level contradicts Tampa Bay's usual market efficiency, especially on a short-term deal that offers no long-term cost certainty. The contract becomes even more questionable when considering the Rays' perpetual need to allocate resources carefully across their entire roster while competing in the brutal AL East, where this money could have been better deployed across multiple impact pieces or younger talent with higher upside. Martinez's age and injury history make this a high-risk proposition for a team that typically targets players in their prime or ascending phases, not veterans commanding premium starter money on prove-it deals. For an organization that has mastered the art of finding rotation depth at bargain prices, this signing feels uncharacteristically desperate and misaligned with their proven development pipeline.
Fan & Media Sentiment
D
Negative
NegativeNeutralPositive
The public narrative around Nick Martinez is firmly negative, and the sentiment has only deteriorated over the last 30 days — a D grade that reflects a fanbase and media contingent that never fully bought into this signing. The $13M AAV one-year deal drew immediate skepticism at the moment it was announced, with coverage questioning whether a 35-year-old established veteran at that price point represented genuine roster-building or a stopgap measure dressed up as commitment. A hamstring injury that pushed Martinez back early on poured fuel on that fire, turning abstract contract concerns into concrete availability questions before he had a chance to make his case on the mound. On-field, his performance grades out at a C — middling by any standard, and certainly not the kind of production that quiets critics when the dollar figure attached is this visible. The Rays have been active in recent weeks, adding arms like Steven Matz, Casey Legumina, and Edwin Uceta while also bringing in Gavin Lux, which signals a front office still patching and problem-solving — context that makes Martinez's $13M look even more conspicuous when cheaper alternatives are being layered in around him. The one thread of goodwill in the coverage centers on Martinez's professionalism and intentionality in his new environment, but work ethic praise rarely moves the needle when the broader question is whether the contract was justified. With the Rays sitting at 24-12 and riding a six-game winning streak, the team success has provided a buffer — but Martinez personally owns a narrative that is cautiously skeptical at best, and trending in the wrong direction.
Recent Games
| Date | OPP | Result | AB | H | R | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, 5/4 | vs TOR | W 5-1 | - | - | - | 0 | - | - | - |
| Tue, 4/28 | @ CLE | W 1-0 | - | - | - | 0 | - | - | - |
Transaction History
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About this player
Nick Martinez is a veteran in his 8th MLB season listed at SP for the Rays. FanVerdicts maintains four independent grades for every MLB player on an active roster — Contract Value Index for the deal itself, Performance for on-field production, Sentiment for media and fan reaction, and Fan Verdict for community voting. Current grades for Nick Martinez: Contract Value Index D+, Performance C, Sentiment D, Fan Verdict pending.
Every grade refreshes on its own cadence as new data lands. Performance recalculates when MLB game stats post; Sentiment updates with new media coverage and fan discussion; Contract Value Index recomputes when contract terms change; Fan Verdict reflects live community voting on this profile. Contract details below show the structure (years, total value, average annual value, guarantees) the Contract Value Index grade is computed against.
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