The Athletics are coming off a 76-win season that featured an electric offense in 2025. Still calling a minor league park in Sacramento home, the A's have to improve their pitching to make any run at the playoffs this season. The Athletics have been quiet in MLB free agency, but they should end it by signing veteran pitcher Nick Martinez.
Martinez was solid for the Cincinnati Reds in 2025, posting a 4.45 ERA in 165.2 innings. He can come out of the bullpen and start games, and struck out 116 batters to just 42 walks last season. At this point in the offseason, teams are looking to add players on ‘prove-it' one-year deals. Contracts like the one Eugenio Suarez just signed with the Reds will be common as spring training approaches.
In their first season in Sacramento, the Athletics ranked 12th in runs scored and 27th in team ERA. Their offense should be taking a step forward, as Jacob Wilson and Nick Kurtz enter their second seasons. But the pitching needs help from outside the organization to improve.
Last winter, the Athletics signed Luis Severino to the largest free-agent contract in team history at $67 million. That did not work out well, as Severino struggled and made plenty of comments about pitching in a minor-league park. The best way to mend this relationship is to support him with a solid second starter.
Martinez will turn 36 years old during the season, but he has been a reliable pitcher throughout his MLB career. With over 500 innings thrown over the last four seasons, he is a workhorse who can provide depth and talent to the Athletics. This is a special offensive group the Athletics are putting together, but they need pitchers to make the most of that group. Martinez should just be the start.
The Athletics should be aiming higher than Nick Martinez
If the Athletics sign Martinez to a one-year deal, it will be a huge win for the team. They could use the starter, he could bump back to the bullpen if necessary, and the team deserves the investment. But the reality is that the Athletics could be a sneaky playoff contender with a better rotation, and there is an ace-caliber pitcher available.
Framber Valdez is still available in MLB free agency after a great run with the Houston Astros. They have already replaced him, bringing in Tatsuya Imai, so Valdez will be on a new team. The Baltimore Orioles and San Francisco Giants have been rumored as the most likely landing spots, and the Athletics have only themselves to blame.
On paper, Valdez is the perfect fit for the Athletics. They know he can dominate in their division, they need another pitcher, and they don't have many big contracts on their team. But the Athletics are not known for paying top-dollar for top-end talent. That is likely what Valdez will demand on the open market, even with just days to go before spring training.
That leaves the Athletics to settle for Martinez, who should improve their rotation in 2026. With such a great offense all on low-money deals, they have money to spend in free agency. But with the lowest attendance in the league in 2025, they have to be cautious about over-indexing financially before Vegas.
The Athletics have a bright future ahead, but they need better pitching to take advantage of that. Martinez is not part of the long-term plan for the team, as he is entering the final years of his career. But the financial limitations of the Athletics point them to short-term fixes in the rotation. That's what Martinez represents, but it could work out in a wide-open AL Wild Card race.
