The New York Yankees aren’t in dire need of a new starter, but it’s still worth exploring a division rival in free agency.
An MLB writer recently proposed an interest deal that would send one of the Tampa Bay Rays‘ pitchers to New York.
How would this shake out?
Yankees Urged To Target Rays’ Nick Martinez
According to Stephen Parello of FanSided, the Yankees should target 36-year-old Nick Martinez.
On Oct. 30, he declined his mutual option for $20M with the Rays. He’s now a free agent, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
With that, the Yankees should keep a close eye on him.
“The Fordham University product likely prices himself out of what the Yankees would feel comfortable paying for the role they’d ask him to fill,” Parello wrote. “While he made 31 starts in Tampa, the majority of Martinez’s career has been as a jack-of-all-trades type of pitcher, filling numerous bullpen roles and swinging into the starting rotation when needed.
“That kind of versatility has a ton of value for a pitching staff. Much like adding Sandoval, Martinez would allow the Yankees to reallocate other assets via the trade market to solve other needs. The problem will be the price, but if Brian Cashman is feeling bold, Martinez would be a great pickup.”
By the end of his 2026 regular season, Martinez had logged a 3.10 ERA and 109 strikeouts across 180.0 innings pitched through 31 starts.
He posted 22 homers along the way.
During his postseason run to the World Series, he recorded a 2.81 ERA and 12 strikeouts across 16.0 innings of work through four games, starting three.
Snapshot of Martinez’s MLB Career
The right-hander just wrapped up his ninth season playing Major League Baseball, kicking off his career with the Texas Rangers.
Texas selected him with the No. 564 overall pick in the 18th round of the 2011 MLB draft.
He made his debut in April 2014.
After his 2017 campaign, he closed his chapter with the Rangers and played four seasons in Japan’s NPB.
Martinez returned to the major leagues for the 2022 season with the San Diego Padres, followed by a two-year stint with the Cincinnati Reds.
However, in February 2026, he signed a one-year deal with Tampa Bay.
He’s certainly played around the map over the years, but in the off chance he finds his next home in New York, the Yankees would be in good hands.
New York Yankees Urged To Target Rays’ MLB All-Star Pitcher in Free Agency