Nick Martinez Prefers To Start
9 months agoCincinnati Reds right-hander Nick Martinez can fill pretty much any pitching role, but he signed a two-year, $26 million deal with the Reds in December with the aim to be a starter. Right now, the team has 10 pitchers competing for five rotation spots, so there's no guarantee Martinez will open the year in the rotation. If he's not starting, he'll be expected to protect leads in a late-inning, high-leverage role out of the bullpen. The 33-year-old served as a swingman for the Padres the last two years, going 6-4 with a 3.43 ERA in a team-high 63 outings (110 1/3 innings) in 2023. Martinez had a 2.32 ERA over 42 2/3 innings in nine starts, and he was excellent at inducing weak contact. Because his role is unclear, it makes him difficult to recommend in fantasy drafts, but we can't argue against how effective he's been in recent seasons.
Source: MLB.com - Mark Sheldon
Source: MLB.com - Mark Sheldon