Welcome home, Nick. Please.
Sadly, the San Diego Padres will be without Joe Musgrove in 2025. Over the last two seasons, Musgrove has not seen the field much, combining for 36 starts in that span. The former All-Star has undergone Tommy John surgery and the impending recovery will keep Musgrove out for the entirety of next season.
Although Musgrove is not an easy pitcher to replace on the field and in the clubhouse, the Padres could see a former player make a grand reentrance. Nick Martinez parted ways with the Padres going into the 2024 campaign after signing a free agent deal with the Reds last December. But Martinez could decide to opt out of his two-year pact after fulfilling just one season in Cincinnati.
Padres could reunite with Nick Martinez in free agency to address Joe Musgrove injury
Martinez may be one of the most underrated pitchers in Major League Baseball. The right-hander posted a 3.10 ERA in 142 1/3 innings this past season with a 1.026 WHIP. Martinez was also elected the Reds’ most outstanding pitcher in 2024, beating out All-Star Hunter Greene.
Nick Martinez, K’ing the Side in the 6th.
9Ks thru 6. pic.twitter.com/CfuboR0zwN— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) September 21, 2024
During his two seasons with the Padres, Martinez registered a 3.45 ERA in 216-plus innings. Martinez was also nails in the postseason for the Friars, allowing only one run in 11 innings during the 2022 playoffs with just three hits and one walk. The Padres would definitely sign up for these numbers again.
Martinez also proved himself once again as a starting pitcher in the final month of the regular season. In five September starts with Cincinnati, he surrendered just three earned runs over this stretch, including scoreless outings of seven and six innings, respectively. Martinez ended the year on an incredible note, firing eight innings of one-run ball at Wrigley Field. He walked away from the 2024 season with another award, too, earning Pitcher of the Month honors for September.
Martinez still keeps in contact with his former Padres teammates and he loved his tenure in San Diego, so why not run it back? The Friars faithful sure miss him and Martinez would fit right in. San Diego has a few decisions that they will need to make on the mound, but considering bringing Martinez back feels like a no-brainer.
