Reds’ answer to replacing Nick Martinez might be hiding in their own clubhouse

Nick Martinez has been a valuable cog in the Cincinnati Reds' pitching staff for the last two years. He may not have been worth the $21.05 million the Reds paid him in 2025 thanks to the qualifying offer, but the veteran swingman's ability to seamlessly transition from competent starter to legit multi-inning threat out of the bullpen made Terry Francona's life much easier last year.

Martinez, of course, is a free agent, and the Reds' tight payroll makes it a foregone conclusion that the club won't have the funds to reunite with him and take care of the more pressing need for a big bat.

The glut of starting pitching that Cincinnati has is one thing Nick Krall can deal from in order to solve the offensive puzzle, but at the same time, it could also lead to a prime Martinez replacement in the form of Julian Aguiar.

Reds rookie pitcher Julian Aguiar could prove to be the perfect Nick Martinez replacement

As currently constructed, the Reds' rotation is filled to the brim with Hunter Greene holding down the top, and a supporting cast of Andrew Abbott, Brady Singer, Nick Lodolo, and Chase Burns rounding out one of the better units in the league.

That's to say nothing of the depth that top prospects Rhett Lowder and Chase Petty can provide. Somewhat forgotten in the wave of names is 24-year-old Julian Aguiar, who is returning to the fold after spending the entire 2025 season on the mend, recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Aguiar doesn't have much in the way of Major League experience, making just seven starts and hurling 31⅔ innings before going down in 2024. It wasn't very pretty, either, with the right-hander recording a 6.35 ERA in that time.

However, Aguiar has a decent pedigree as a former top-30 prospect in the system. He was named the Reds Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2023, and his sinker-heavy, ground ball-generating approach bodes well for his ability to efficiently work through a lineup and eat innings.

That's what Martinez did so well. The 35-year-old was never overpowering, but his ability to work efficiently made him invaluable both in his starts and as a bulk-inning reliever.

Aguiar is already on the roster and makes peanuts as a pre-arb player. Calling on him to replace Martinez won't be the most sure thing that the Reds can do, but there's a decent shot of it working out, and the cost savings would be immense.

Relying on him would allow him to truly be given an opportunity to prove his worth, while freeing up precious funds for more pressing issues, potentially making the whole greater than the sum of its parts following Martinez's departure.