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
B-
N/A
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The Verdict on Nick, in One Read
On the field, Nick Martinez grades out as a middling SP for Rays (C Performance). That places him 159th of 254 graded starting pitchers. The contract is harder to defend: the Contract Value Index calls it a slight overpay (D+), with the cost outrunning the output. The public read is positive (B- Sentiment), drawn from current news and social signal rather than the box score.
Career StatsC
| Year | Team | GP | ERA | W-L | K | WHIP | IP | SV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Career |  | 294 | 4.0293255 | 54-61 | 720 | 1.2903225 | 0.0 | 9 |
| 2026 | | 14 | 2.60 | 6-2 | 50 | 1.16 | 83.0 | 0 |
| 2025 |
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.
Performance Analysis
C
FCA+
Among starting pitchers on the Rays, Nick Martinez's output grades to a C performance level. The 2026 season shows six wins across 14 games, a middling return that reflects below-average production at an age and price point where the Rays expected more. His strikeout total of 50 K represents his strongest counting metric in the early sample, though without additional context on innings pitched or ERA, the raw whiff rate alone doesn't elevate the overall assessment. The hamstring injury that sidelined him early in the season has compounded durability concerns for a 35-year-old arm, turning what was already a skeptical media narrative into a concrete availability question. Martinez signed to a one-year, $13M deal meant to signal organizational commitment, but his middling on-field performance has done nothing to quiet the criticism that surrounded the signing from day one — and with the Rays layering in arms like Michael Grove and Craig Kimbrel throughout June, the front office's recent transaction pattern suggests internal doubt about his ability to be a reliable rotation anchor. At this stage of his career, an established veteran on a visible contract needs to outperform expectations or work past injury setbacks to rebuild confidence; Martinez has done neither, leaving the narrative firmly in skeptical territory.
Contracts in the Same Value Band
Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the D band — a quick read on where Nick's contract sits relative to comparable money.
How Nick Compares at the Position
Nick Martinez ranks 159th of 254 graded starting pitchers by performance. That slots Nick between J.T. Ginn (C+) just ahead and Mick Abel (C) just behind.
Graded higher
J.T. GinnAthleticsC+Jameson TaillonCubsC+Brandon SproatBrewersC+Nick MartinezC
Graded lower
Mick AbelTwinsRecent Games
| Date | OPP | Result | AB | H | R | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sun, 6/21 | vs WAS | W 4-3 | - | - | - | 0 | - | - | - |
| Tue, 6/16 | @ LAD | L 3-4 | - | - | - | 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 covers every MLB player, team, GM, and transaction — and puts your verdict on all of it. Sign in to cast your Fan Verdict on Nick Martinez, see where the crowd lands, and argue the call. FanVerdicts also brings its own read — performance, sentiment, and Contract Value Index — as one honest input alongside the crowd's. Where FanVerdicts has weighed in so far: Contract Value Index D+, Performance C, Sentiment B-.
The crowd's Fan Verdict moves in real time as fans vote on this profile. FanVerdicts' own read updates as new data lands — performance recalculates when MLB game stats post, sentiment shifts with media coverage and fan discussion, and the Contract Value Index recomputes when contract terms change. Contract details below show the structure (years, total value, average annual value, guarantees) behind the Contract Value Index read.
For league-wide context, the MLB hub has team rankings, GM report cards, the transactions feed, and live scoreboards. The MLB player rankings page sorts every active player by performance and contract value within their position.
