Intentionality the word for Martinez as he ingratiates himself with Rays

This story was excerpted from Adam Berry’s Rays Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. -- Before the Rays signed right-hander Nick Martinez, Kevin Cash put in a call to Reds manager Terry Francona to ask about the veteran swingman. Francona couldn’t stop singing the praises of Martinez, and it didn’t have much to do with him being an effective and versatile pitcher for Cincinnati.

It was more about everything else Martinez did.

“I told him he’s one of my favorite guys. I said, ‘I’m telling you, if you have him, you will love him,’” Francona told reporters in Reds camp. “He called like the second day, and he goes, ‘I already do.’”

Martinez has only spent about a month in the Rays' clubhouse, but he’s already living up to his reputation as an elite teammate.

Good clubhouse chemistry comes in many forms. It’s a difficult thing to explain. Impossible to quantify. You know it when you feel it. But Martinez is a big believer in the power of a unified group, saying that having a room full of players in a “good state of mind” is conducive to success on the field.

“I think camaraderie is that special sauce that’s in championship-winning teams,” he said. “If we can create a culture in here of being good teammates and playing to win, it's gonna be a fun year.”

Martinez, 35, takes that responsibility seriously. His locker in the corner of the home clubhouse at Charlotte Sports Park is an ideal vantage point to get a feel for the room. He’s near a handful of other players who have taken on leadership roles in the clubhouse, including Drew Rasmussen, Shane McClanahan, Junior Caminero and fellow newcomers Steven Matz and Cedric Mullins.

Cash quickly took note of the way that Martinez approaches games when he’s not pitching. The Rays don’t require their pitchers to be in the dugout during Spring Training when they’re not playing, but Martinez is a frequent visitor. And he’s a pacer, going up and down the dugout, chatting up everyone he sees.

“He’s available, and he initiates conversation. He initiates support,” Cash said. “He’s actively having conversations with position players and pitchers alike. It's easy to talk to your buddies about pitching, but I'm watching him interact with our position group.”

His team-building efforts extend beyond the dugout and the clubhouse. Spring Training’s early days and relaxed atmosphere provide valuable opportunities to get together and create the bonds that tie teams together.

That takes on many forms. Last week, he went golfing with McClanahan. (“I was on the round of my life,” Martinez quipped, “then the back nine happened.”) What started out as a weekly trivia night with Martinez and reliever Steven Wilson grew into a group of 12 players and their significant others.

During previous stops, he organized team dinners and hotel get-togethers on the road. He set up team poker nights and arranged for groups to attend concerts together.

“That’s what Spring Training is for. It's nice to pick up the vibe on what guys like to do and get the personality to everyone,” he said. “I think it's just picking up on what guys like to do here, picking up on the vibe.”

His understanding of how to make that work while keeping everyone focused on winning came in his first years as a big leaguer.

Dropped into the mid-2010s Texas Rangers clubhouse, he was guided by fellow Miami native J.P. Arencibia and veteran starter Colby Lewis. Derek Holland let Martinez live with him in 2016, free of charge. He closely observed the way veterans like Adrian Beltre, Elvis Andrus, Prince Fielder, Mitch Moreland, Shin-Soo Choo, Mike Napoli, Yovani Gallardo and Cole Hamels went about their business and ran the clubhouse.

“I was very, very lucky in who I had to look up to in a Major League clubhouse,” Martinez said. “I couldn't have asked for a better group of guys.”

But part of it also comes naturally for Martinez.

Growing up, his dad hosted parties and family barbecues. Martinez and his family have carried on that tradition, hosting friends and other family members in the offseason. Early on in his Minor League career, he came to appreciate how special it was to spend time with teammates in the clubhouse before and after games.

“It might just be my personality,” he said. “I like being a ‘hang’ guy, just hanging out with the guys.”