Nick Martinez to pitch for Team USA in 2023 World Baseball Classic

It was announced today that San Diego Padres starting pitcher Nick Martinez will be pitching for Team USA in the upcoming 2023 World Baseball Classic! The 32-year-old will be entering his second season with San Diego after competing in the WBC.

It is interesting that the World Baseball Classic announced Martinez as a reliever today despite him planning on being a starter in 2023. Perhaps the Padres told manager Mark DeRosa that Martinez is only to be used in short spurts out of the bullpen in an effort to save his arm.

Martinez is one of four starters in the Padres rotation right now after signing a three-year, $26 million contract earlier this offseason. It’s already been announced that Yu Darvish will pitch for Team Japan. DeRosa told me at the Winter Meetings last week that he was interested in having Martinez, Blake Snell and Joe Musgrove on the USA roster.

As far as we know, Snell and Musgrove haven’t made a decision yet on if they will join Martinez.

Team USA’s first game of the WBC is scheduled to be played on March 11 against Great Britain at Chase Field.