Padres News: Nick Martinez Explains Why He Left Team USA

Padres reliever couldn't risk not pitching in the WBC

The World Baseball Classic has showed cased some of the best baseball we have witnessed. Teams are stacked with star talent trying to retrieve the gold, but none are bigger than Team USA. 

Team USA is stacked with superstars, all-stars, and future Hall of Famers. Their lineup is arguably the greatest lineup ever created, but their pitching, on the other hand, remained a question mark to many. 

Nonetheless, the pitching has been solid, and Padres reliever Nick Martinez was among those representing Team USA on the pitching side. However, we learned yesterday that the righty reliever left Team USA to return to Padres' spring training. 

Martinez caught up with 97.3 The Fan and told reporters why he chose to leave the tournament. 

Nick Martinez discusses the decision to return to Padres spring training from Team USA at the World Baseball Classic:

"I couldn't risk not pitching the rest of the tournament....tough decision on both ends. I think we both felt that this was the decision that I had to make." pic.twitter.com/KGZ6Lb8AiG

— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) March 19, 2023

Martinez laid out scenarios in the piece above where there might've been situations in where he couldn't pitch and that led him to leave the team. Martinez wanted to pitch and he didn't see it happening with Team USA in the remainder of the tournament so he made the tough decision. 

Team USA manager Mark DeRosa spoke to the media and gave his side on the reliever going back to Padres training camp. 

“I didn’t feel that was fair to us as a whole or to him to guarantee that, regardless of result,” DeRosa said. “We’re trying to win this thing, so I thought it was best for everyone — and he agreed — that he would go back and get ready for opening day with San Diego.”

It sucks both sides couldn't make it work, but it sounds like it was the right decision. Nick started in the teams match against Team Mexico and allowed three runs in two and two-third innings. Martinez is normally in a reliever role with the Padres. 

The 32-year-old spent his first season in San Diego in 2022 after not pitching in the majors since 2017 with the Texas Rangers. 

Luckily, Nick is healthy and will be ready to play a major role in the Padres bullpen.