ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays turned down 2027 mutual options Friday on right-hander Nick Martinez and center fielder Cedric Mullins, a widely expected move that sends both players into free agency.
Martinez had a $20 million mutual option for next season. The Rays instead owe him a $4 million buyout, which pushes the total value of the one-year deal he signed in February to $13 million.
The 36-year-old put together the best season of his career. He went 15-6 with a 3.10 ERA across 31 starts and 180 innings, made his first All-Star team and started Game 1 of the World Series. Over four postseason appearances he posted a 2.81 ERA.
Tampa Bay won 25 of the 35 games Martinez pitched this year, and manager Kevin Cash credited him with anchoring the clubhouse during the run to the American League pennant.
Mullins, 32, carried a $10 million option with a $500,000 buyout. He started 122 games in center field and helped improve the outfield defense, but he batted .205 with 15 home runs, 48 RBIs and 21 steals, and lost much of his playing time to Jonny DeLuca.
Mutual options are seldom picked up by both sides. Clubs and players use them mostly to move salary from one year to the next.
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