The Athletics just finished the 2025 season with 76 wins — not a disaster, even a rare moment of exhilaration. Their offense was explosive, ranking 12th in MLB for runs scored, in a season where many still called the A’s home arena in Sacramento a “small park.”
But it was there that their limitations became apparent.
The team’s overall ERA ranked 27th in MLB. Pitching wasn’t just a weakness — it was a direct barrier between the A’s and any postseason dreams. And as they entered the final stages of the free agency market, the question wasn’t whether the A’s needed more pitchers, but how much they dared to need them.
Nick Martinez emerged as a pleasant solution.
36 years old, a seasoned veteran, he threw over 165 innings for the Reds last season with an ERA of 4.45 and a clean strikeout/walk ratio. He can start, he can provide long-term relief, he can do whatever the team needs quietly. A one-year, “prove-it” contract, within budget, and without long-term risk.
In the current context, Martinez is almost perfect.
Als tasted the risk last season when they gave Luis Severino their biggest contract in club history — and then saw things go wrong. Severino struggled, complained about his pitching on the smaller pitch, and that relationship needed to be “soothed.” The best way isn’t a promise, but adding a reliable starter to ease the pressure.
Martinez can do that.
But that very logic creates a sense of indecision.
Because Als isn’t just a team needing repairs. With Jacob Wilson and Nick Kurtz entering their second year, this young offense has the opportunity to take another step forward. The AL Wild Card isn’t untouchable. And meanwhile, a bigger name still hovers out there: Framber Valdez.
A true ace. A former dominant force in this division. A pitcher capable of changing the expectations of the entire roster. On paper, Valdez is almost the ideal fit for the Athletics — a team not bound by long-term contracts, needing pitching, and needing an icon for new ambitions.
But that’s where the familiar story returns.
The Athletics aren’t known for spending big money. Their attendance was the lowest in MLB last season. Their future move to Vegas is still uncertain. Every decision has to be weighed against finances before considering baseball. And so, Valdez is likely just a name to be fought over.
Nick Martinez, in that picture, represents realism. Not the future. Not a declaration. Just a short-term solution to keep the team afloat in the open race.
And perhaps that’s what makes this decision so controversial.
The Athletics have an offense worth investing in. They have opportunities. But they also have a history of choosing safety over boldness. Martinez could improve the rotation. Perhaps enough to keep them in the race. But he also reiterates an old question fans have heard too long: Are Athletics building to move forward, or just trying not to fall behind?
In an AL where there aren’t many absolute dominant teams anymore, sometimes all it takes is a push beyond what’s “reasonable.” The question is: are Athletics willing to do that, or are they going back to the familiar path—good enough to hope for, but never good enough to believe?
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