“After a while, enough’s enough.” Those were the words of an agitated Mike Shildt, the San Diego Padres manager, just moments after a fiery, benches-clearing incident against the Los Angeles Dodgers. His anger was pointed toward his counterpart, Dave Roberts, after superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. was hit by a 93-mph fastball from a rookie, the third time he had been plunked by the Dodgers in the series alone.
It hasn’t even been two weeks since that on-field war—featuring eight hit-by-pitches over four games, culminating with suspensions for both managers and Padres reliever Robert Suarez, who drilled Shohei Ohtani with a 100-mph fastball in apparent retaliation. And then there was that whole Andy Pages thing. Now, that battleground is shifting from the batter’s box to the front office. With the July 31st MLB trade deadline fast approaching, the Freeway Series will be converted into more of a Freeway Fracas, with the Dodgers and Padres once again on a collision course, ready to lock horns over a key player.
And the next step in this rivalry centers on Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Nick Martinez. As per a recent report from ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan, Martinez is one of the premier trade candidates out there. In their ranking of the top 50 deadline targets, they note his situation perfectly. “Martinez took the qualifying offer of $21.05 million and might have a bigger market this winter… looks like a fourth starter now.”
MLB, Baseball Herren, USA Washington Nationals at Cincinnati Reds May 4, 2025 Cincinnati, Ohio, USA Cincinnati Reds pitcher Nick Martinez 28 fields the ball for an out at first base in the game against the Washington Nationals in the fifth inning inning at Great American Ball Park. Cincinnati Great American Ball Park Ohio USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xAaronxDosterx 20250504_add_db4_013
Most importantly, they list the Dodgers and Padres as among his “Best fits,” tipping the two rivals for another direct confrontation.
Martinez has been in hot demand because of steady play and, more importantly, a contract status. The right-hander has pitched to a solid 4.40 ERA over 86.0 innings and 17 appearances with the Reds this season. He is a rental, playing out an expiring $21.05 million deal. Cincinnati can’t offer him another one because he accepted a qualifying offer last winter. That means the Reds are more than likely to trade him and receive value in return, thereby making him one of the most logical and valuable pitchers on the market.
This perfect storm of availability meets the desperate needs of both Southern California powerhouses, but for starkly different reasons.
Mapping the market for the Dodgers and Padres
For the Dodgers, acquiring Martinez would be a matter of need. Their historic offense, which is leading baseball in nearly every category, is covering up a titanic weakness: a pitching staff that is being wrecked by injuries. With aces like Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, and Roki Sasaki all on the Injured List, Los Angeles desperately needs durable innings. Martinez isn’t a flashy ace, but he is a steady arm who can eat innings and prevent the bullpen from burning out before October even begins.
The Padres, meanwhile, want Martinez in place to reinforce their biggest strength. The Friars own a top-eight pitching staff in MLB, but their own depth has been tested by injuries to Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, and Michael King. There aren’t many better insurance policies than a reliable rotation arm like Martinez for San Diego. He would fit nicely at the back of their rotation and help maintain the pitching dominance intact for a deep postseason run.
As Martinez is hardly the only arm on the market, both teams are no doubt checking on numerous possible options. The top prize on the rental market is Houston Astros ace Framber Valdez (3.09 ERA, 96.0 IP). His durability and front-line talent have positioned him for a bidding war between the two NL West rivals. Sandy Alcantara of Miami is another appealing name. The former Cy Young winner is a high-risk, high-reward candidate with years of team control (3+ Years Control).
On the lower end of that spectrum, pitchers such as the Tampa Bay Rays’ Zack Littell and the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Andrew Heaney would be nice, cost-effective options. Both are reliable veterans who can provide quality innings without costing a team its top prospects. If the Arizona Diamondbacks decide to sell, their reliable right-hander Merrill Kelly would also attract strong interest from both the Dodgers and the Padres, further fueling this divisional arms race.
While the battle for pitching will be fierce, the search for impact bats represents another important front in this quarrel. Here, the desperate buyers are the Padres. Their offense is an anemic 27th in home runs, and their search for a power-hitting outfielder is baseball’s worst-kept secret. They are widely connected to Chicago’s Luis Robert Jr., Miami’s Jesús Sánchez, and the Angels’ Taylor Ward. The Dodgers, who possess the best offense in baseball, can be the spoiler, raising the price of the players their rivals want.
Who will blink first in this high-stakes game of chicken?
The post MLB Trade Rumors: Dodgers, Padres Tipped to Lock Horns Again as Reds Set to Cut $21.05M Star appeared first on EssentiallySports.
