Cincinnati Reds to move Nick Martinez to the Bullpen – Redleg Nation

The Cincinnati Reds did two transactions on Wednesday. The first the team saw the third Honkman Ke’bryan Hayes pick up from the Pittsburgh Pirates. About nine hours later, the Reds for right-handed starting pitcher Zack Littell exchanged in a 3-team trade with both the Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles Dodgers.

The step to bring in Littell and with the potential that Hunter Greene, who is currently on a rehabilitation at Triple-A Louisville, returns to the rotation within the next two weeks, the Reds will leave behind with more starting pitchers than they will have spots in the rotation. The Reds have already decided what the solution will be for now with regard to one of those places – Nick Martinez, who last night only allowed two points in six innings to the Dodgers, moves to the Bullpen. President of baseball surgery Nick Krall confirmed that last night after the trade was completed.

Martinez spent a lot of time in the bullpen in his career, so it’s nothing new for him. He can be a man who can cover multiple innings for Cincinnati and will probably improve the bull pen, both in terms of the fact that he should find success there, but also by extending the innings, gives a Reliever the team and gives others to pitch less and get a little more rest between trips, so that they could also perform better.

Last night may not be the last time we see Nick Martinez in the rotation. Pitchers are not exactly the bastion of good health. But even if everyone can remain relatively healthy, the Reds must make a decision with Chase Burns at a certain moment. Whether that decision is to really limit his innings as a starter, so that he can pitch all year, or just close him completely, or even move him to the bull pen to limit his innings, but to keep him on the hill all year round – will have to give something and the team may need someone else to come in and offer innings. Maybe that is Martinez.