The Tampa Bay Rays have reached a one-year agreement with right-hander Martinez.

Today, the Tampa Bay Rays accomplished several goals at once in assembling their starting rotation: they secured their rotation roster, built sufficient depth, and increased flexibility in pitching assignments. Multiple insiders confirmed to MLB.com that the team has inked a one-year deal with right-handed pitcher Nick Martinez.

The team has yet to officially announce Martinez’s contract, which is pending a physical and includes a mutual option for 2027. Sources reveal the deal guarantees $13 million.

Once signed, Martinez is expected to join the Rays’ starting rotation, which should also feature returning ace Shane McClanahan, All-Star right-hander Drew Rasmussen, righty Ryan Pepiot, and lefty Steven Matz.

“If these reports are accurate, it would be excellent news for the Rays, our pitching staff, and our team,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said today at the spring training media day. “Our research and understanding of him show he has a top-tier character, is a great teammate in the clubhouse, and is selfless regardless of his role. If we are fortunate enough to add him, we expect him to provide meaningful innings as a starter. So, I’m excited about these rumors.”

Beyond this starting rotation lineup, the Rays have also accumulated a full set of experienced pitchers, including Joe Boyle, Ian Seymour, Jesse Scholtens, Yoendrys Gómez (who has no remaining options), and Mason Englert, who will be stretched out as a starter during spring training.

Martinez’s salary will make this Miami native the highest-paid player on the Rays this year, surpassing veteran designated hitter Yandy Díaz, who earns $12 million. This also raises the team’s projected opening payroll to over $80 million.

The Rays’ 40-man roster is currently full, but they can create space for Martinez in the coming days by moving recovering reliever Manuel Rodríguez to the 60-day injured list.

Martinez can serve as either a starter or reliever and has been a dependable swingman for the Reds over the past two seasons. Adding him to an already deep starting staff should give the Rays more confidence in their frontline pitching options, many of whom may have workload restrictions.

McClanahan has thrown about a dozen bullpen sessions and is expected to pitch at least five innings by the end of spring training. Today, he and a large group of early-arriving pitchers participated in throwing drills at the secondary field of Charlotte Sports Park. However, he has not appeared in a major league game since 2023 due to Tommy John surgery and left triceps nerve issues.

After undergoing three major elbow surgeries, Rasmussen pitched a career-high 150 innings last year. Matz has not exceeded 100 innings since 2023, with his last 150-inning season being in 2021. Pepiot enters the new season following a career-best 167.2 innings pitched last year.

Meanwhile, 35-year-old Martinez threw 142.1 innings for the Reds in 2024 and posted a career-high 165.2 innings last year, serving in a versatile role. Before the 2024 season, he signed a two-year, $26 million deal with Cincinnati and recorded a 10-7 record, 3.10 ERA, and 116 strikeouts across 42 appearances (16 starts).

Last season, Martinez appeared in 40 games (26 starts) for the Reds, earning an 11-14 record with a 4.45 ERA and 116 strikeouts, helping Cincinnati reach the playoffs for the first time since 2020.

This versatility is valuable for the Rays. It means Martinez can reliably hold a spot in the rotation, as the team expects him to do early in the season. But if needed, he can shift to the bullpen or other roles, whether to protect other starters (as Boyle did for Rasmussen last season) or to open opportunities for other players who have earned them; he has proven capable in these roles as well.

After the 2024 season, Martinez opted out of the second year of his contract but accepted a qualifying offer from the Reds worth $21.05 million for 2025, returning to Cincinnati. He was the only player in the 2024-25 free agent market to accept a qualifying offer. Since he received that offer last offseason, he is no longer eligible for a qualifying offer this winter, meaning signing him will not involve draft pick compensation.

Martinez spent four seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) with the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters and Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks from 2018 to 2021. After four underwhelming MLB seasons, he revitalized his pitching career there.

Before signing with the Japanese teams, Martinez spent his first four MLB seasons (2014-2017) with the Texas Rangers, posting a 4.77 ERA. His success in NPB earned him a contract with the San Diego Padres before the 2022 season.

Since returning to MLB, Martinez has appeared in 192 games (61 starts) over four seasons for the Padres and Reds, posting a 3.67 ERA. During this period, he has averaged 131.1 innings pitched and 108 strikeouts per season.