Nick Martinez will not exercise mutual option with Rays and will become a free agent

posted by u/sweetpotatofries1992 · 2026-10-30 14:57 UTC

(Link/image post, original: https://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/nick_martinez_will_not_exercise_mutual_option_with_rays_and_will_become_a_free_agent/s1_13132_44493190）

## Top comments

1. u/AutoModerator · 2026-10-30 14:57 UTC

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2. u/TheTVDB · 2026-10-30 15:05 UTC

I don't watch enough baseball to know: can someone explain why his bouncing isn't a balk?

3. u/beepingnoise · 2026-10-30 15:08 UTC

There’s no one on base to deceive.

4. u/TheTVDB · 2026-10-30 15:10 UTC

So if there's a runner on first, he can't do that?

5. u/beepingnoise · 2026-10-30 15:11 UTC

Yep, he has to come set with runners on

6. u/TheTVDB · 2026-10-30 15:14 UTC

Ok, thank you!

7. u/OdaDdaT · 2026-10-30 15:43 UTC

Balk Rules

1a. A balk is when you

1b. Okay well listen. A balk is when you balk the

1c. Let me start over

1c-a. The pitcher is not allowed to do a motion to the, uh, batter, that prohibits the batter from doing, you know, just trying to hit the ball. You can't do that.

1c-b. Once the pitcher is in the stretch, he can't be over here and say to the runner, like, "I'm gonna get ya! I'm gonna tag you out! You better watch your butt!" and then just be like he didn't even do that.

1c-b(1). Like, if you're about to pitch and then don't pitch, you have to still pitch. You cannot not pitch. Does that make any sense?

1c-b(2). You gotta be, throwing motion of the ball, and then, until you just throw it.

1c-b(2)-a. Okay, well, you can have the ball up here, like this, but then there's the balk you gotta think about.

1c-b(2)-b. Fairuza Balk hasn't been in any movies in forever. I hope she wasn't typecast as that racist lady in American History X.

1c-b(2)-b(i). Oh wait, she was in The Waterboy too! That would be even worse.

1c-b(2)-b(ii). "get in mah bellah" -- Adam Water, "The Waterboy." Haha, classic...

1c-b(3). Okay seriously though. A balk is when the pitcher makes a movement that, as determined by, when you do a move involving the baseball and field of

2) Do not do a balk please.

8. u/nader0903 · 2026-10-30 16:30 UTC

This is straight out of the official MLB rule book.

9. u/Duce-de-Zoop · 2026-10-30 15:16 UTC

The most important part of not balking is to have the same windup motion everytime. As long as Martinez does the same motion everytime its ok. The umps are looking for you to do something out of pattern. Thats when you deceive the runners.

10. u/HipnotiK1 · 2026-10-30 15:28 UTC

Why was Nestor allowed to quick pitch guys then?

11. u/MrGregory · 2026-10-30 16:31 UTC

The umps are also looking for a complete stop to differentiate from a routine to ready to pitch. Gausman has a similar bounce and sometimes gets called on balks because he spends a split second less transitioning from bounce to pitch

12. u/Melodic_Ad4710 · 2026-10-30 20:53 UTC

I doubt umpires know what a balk is. Former umpire Ron Luciano wrote a book called The Umpire Strikes Back. He said he never called it because he didn't know what it was.

It's a stupid rule.

Deceiving the runners is the object.

13. u/sum_dude44 · 2026-10-30 16:39 UTC

can't blame him, but is someone really giving him a multiyear deal?

14. u/TarnishedAccount · 2026-10-30 16:56 UTC

Someone desperate, like the Cubs, may.

I imagine their offseason will be wild after their division rival just won the title and their postseason exit was embarrassing.

15. u/Correct-Quail5743 · 2026-10-30 17:43 UTC

*mild

They aren’t spending shit with an impending work stoppage and an upcoming election that they can’t wait to pour money into instead

16. u/Sensui710 · 2026-10-30 18:36 UTC

Ya the Cubs owners damn near just as cheap as the Brewers owners lol.

17. u/Western-Ad-9922 · 2026-10-30 15:00 UTC

Not surprised by this at all

18. u/M0RG0 · 2026-10-30 16:16 UTC

I don't blame him would love to have him back though

19. u/GTOdriver04 · 2026-10-30 15:15 UTC

Why? He seemed by all accounts to do well in the clubhouse.

20. u/Simple_Dragonfruit48 · 2026-10-30 15:26 UTC

Because he’s coming off the best season of his career and will try to capitalize on that in what is a weak free agent class. The option is essentially a one year deal and he will be looking for a multi year deal.