On the surface having interest in Nick Martinez seems like a fairly insignificant thing for a contender like the Yankees to do, but the team is very aware of how quickly injuries can derail a season.
Last year the club saw 80% of its rotation from the 2024 season open the 2025 campaign on the IL, suffering degrees of varying severity in March to force Marcus Stroman and Carlos Carrasco into the rotation.
Stroman would get just three starts into his season and Ryan Yarbrough would be called upon to replace a scuffling Carrasco, by Memorial Day the team had used seven different starters multiple times.
Martinez would provide the team with more depth in their rotation, but he’s also begun carving out a nice career out of the bullpen in a multi-relief role, and it’s why the Yankees should remain in contact with him.
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Why Nick Martinez’s Seemingly Mundane Profile Fits the Yankees Well
In each of his two seasons with the Reds, Nick Martinez has been asked to make over 15 starts and make over 10 appearances out of the bullpen in the same season.
He’s a versatile and egoless veteran who will slide to and from the bullpen whenever the team needs, providing solid innings in both roles due to his deep pitch mix.
An above-average run preventor in his four season stretch since returning from Japan’s Nippon Baseball League, Martinez gives the Yankees a higher floor and some more insurance in the organization.
Luis Gil has spent time on the IL in each of the last four seasons, Ryan Weathers had a 60-day IL stint in each of the last two seasons, and the other three projected starters in the rotation are coming off a career-high in innings pitched.
I’d prefer to see the Yankees address their bullpen in a more meaningful manner than add another depth starter, but if the team is unable to pull anything down in the trade or free agent market, Martinez is a fine consolation prize.
He has played a solid role as a reliever across his career, especially since his return from the NPB as he sports a 2.94 ERA and 3.58 FIP across 131 relief appearances during that stretch.
The ability to consistently throw strikes and dial up the fastball velocity a bit more makes the Fordham alumni more effective in short spurts, but he’s often being asked to pitch up to four innings in relief.
Nick Martinez’s signature pitch is his changeup, and I think that profile of a right-handed changeup pitcher actually fits well with what Matt Blake and Sam Briend have been targeting over the last two seasons.
Throwing more right-on-right changeups might take some usage away from his cutter, which righties crushed to the tune of an .827 OPS last year.
Righties had a mere .337 xSLG% and 26.3% Whiff% against that parachute changeup, and it might keep hitters a little more dilligent and less effective versus that four-seamer.
His slider got hammered (.551 SLG%) but the low xSLG% (.387) and high Whiff Rate (39.4%) indicate this should be one of the main weapons we see deployed in same-handed matchups as well.
Cleaning up the pitch usage could have a big impact on him out of the bullpen since he can being able tocontract that mix and pitch for that one at-bat instead of worrying about the second and third time through the order.
This is a ~2 WAR pitcher who can play two different roles for you whenever you need it; I’m not necessarily gung-ho about signing Nick Martinez, but if the Yankees are out of options, this is a good low-price addition.