It's impossible to ignore that the American League East has sent a representative to the World Series in three straight seasons. It's also impossible to shy away from the fact that the group doesn't feature the Boston Red Sox, who haven't won a playoff series since their 2021 run to the ALCS.
However, the Red Sox can at least take something from the Tampa Bay Rays, the current AL East team vying for a title. More specifically, they can take someone.
Nick Martinez — who earned the Game 1 start in the Fall Classic as part of a forward-thinking plan by the Rays — was a first-time All-Star this year while thriving in Tampa Bay's revered pitching lab. A longtime swingman who has had success as both a starter and a reliever, he could make for a perfect offseason addition as the Red Sox tighten up the screws with their own pitching staff.
Nick Martinez checks every possible box as a Red Sox offseason target
By virtue of his All-Star nod and 3.10 ERA over 180 innings, Martinez is going to earn a nice payday in free agency after earning $9 million in 2026. Even at 36 years old, he can probably command a multi-year contract with a respectable AAV, especially since he's not eligible for the qualifying offer after accepting it from the Cincinnati Reds in the 2024-25 offseason.
Of course, that may not jibe with the Red Sox's roster budget. We know that the front office is planning to seek cheap and/or back-end-of-the-rotation additions while primarily focusing on upgrading the offense, though an exception could always be made for the right fit. Martinez, who has a career 4.29 ERA as a starter and a 2.87 mark as a reliever, has the versatility to impact both the rotation and bullpen. That's a pretty strong sales pitch, especially since he'd give the team the flexibility to move someone like Tanner Houck or Johan Oviedo back into the starting five if they prove healthy in 2027.
It's also important to recognize that, simply due to his right-handed profile, Martinez would bring some important diversity to the Red Sox's staff. Sonny Gray appears likely to leave in free agency himself, leaving Brayan Bello as the long righty projected to start next year in Chad Tracy's rotation. Whether by free agency or trade, the team needs to address that imbalance.
In order to lure him to Boston, the front office will have to do a good job of selling Martinez on the idea that this team is closer to contention than it appears — convincing a pitcher at the final stages of his career to leave a World Series participant is easier said than done. But as far as bang-for-your-buck replacement options for Gray go, it's hard to imagine a better target emerging than the Rays' Game 1 starter.
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