Nov. 18: Martinez has now formally accepted the QO, reports Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer. He adds an update to a prior report, adding that talks on a multi-year deal are not expected to continue.
Nov. 17: Veteran right-hander Nick Martinez is planning to accept the qualifying offer from the Reds, according to a report from Francys Romero. Martinez will remain with Cincinnati for the 2025 season on a one-year, $21.05MM deal.
Martinez, 34, was a somewhat surprising recipient of the QO after a strong inaugural season with the Reds. The right-hander joined the club on a two-year, $26MM guarantee last winter after both he and the Padres opted out of their simultaneous options for the 2024 campaign, making him a free agent. The deal with Cincinnati proved to be something of a coup for the Reds, as Martinez turned in an excellent 3.10 ERA and 3.21 FIP over 142 1/3 innings of work in a season that saw him split his time between the starting rotation and the bullpen.
While the righty posted utterly dominant numbers in relief, sporting a 1.86 ERA in 53 1/3 frames out of the bullpen, his 3.84 ERA across 16 starts saw him flash the ability to be a quality rotation piece. A closer look at Martinez’s work this season reveals that he struggled badly out of the rotation early in the year, with a 5.46 ERA through the end of April. He ended the year on a dominant note after returning to the rotation in early August, however, with a 2.42 ERA in 63 1/3 innings across 11 starts down the stretch. That excellent late-season performance could inspire more confidence in Martinez’s abilities as a rotation piece looking ahead to 2025, although it’s worth noting that his strikeout rate (22.5% vs 19.1%) and groundball rate (42.8% vs 33.7%) were both better out of the bullpen than the rotation this year.
Of course, part of Martinez’s value since returning to MLB following a four-year sojourn to Japan (where he posted a 3.02 ERA in 378 1/3 NPB innings) is his ability to shift from the rotation to the bullpen based on the needs of his team. The right-hander has worked as a swingman in each of the last three seasons, logging 184 innings across 35 starts in the rotation and and 175 innings over 117 relief outings. On the heels of a season that saw Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, and Andrew Abbott all miss time due to injury, it’s easy to imagine the Reds placing additional value on Martinez’s flexibility as they attempt to map out a plan for their young rotation arms. That’s especially valuable given the presence of top prospect Rhett Lowder, who looked dominant in a late-season call-up but may not be ready to jump straight into a wire-to-wire big league season in 2025.
That combination of production and versatility convinced the Reds to extend Martinez the QO, even though $21.05MM constitutes a raise of more than $7MM over his 2024 salary. The sides reportedly discussed a multi-year extension in the days leading up to the QO deadline earlier this month, but did not ultimately come together on a deal. Given Martinez’s age, it’s likely that his earning power on the open market would be tamped down in any multi-year pact. That reality surely made accepting the QO an attractive option for Martinez, and that’s exactly what MLBTR predicted he would do in our annual Top 50 MLB Free Agents list.
While adding Martinez to the club’s pitching staff for 2025 is sure to improve the team, that hefty raise might cause some complications for the club’s budget. RosterResource estimates the club’s current payroll for 2025 to be just under $81MM. While the Reds are committed to a payroll “at or above” their 2024 level, the club spent just $100MM on payroll last year and the addition of Martinez’s $21.05MM salary would push the Reds to $102MM, just over that mark. Potential non-tender candidates like Santiago Espinal and Jake Fraley could help the club save a few million dollars here and there, but it seems as though Cincinnati will need to exceed their 2024 payroll by a notable amount in order to make further additions this winter.
As for the free agent market overall, this winter’s market remains deep in interesting mid-to-back of the rotation options even with Martinez off the board. Yusei Kikuchi, Nathan Eovaldi, and Nick Pivetta are among the mid-rotation arms expected to pursue multi-year deals in free agency this winter, while bounce-back candidates like Walker Buehler and Max Scherzer could provide significant upside as they look to re-establish themselves on one-year, high-AAV deals similar to Martinez’s.
Krombopulous Matthew
No disrespect to Martinez but given his career up to this point I’d cash in on an easy 21 million too if I got the offer lol
Fever Pitch Guy
Krom – With no other teams biting on a multi-year contract, it was his only choice.
Big whiffa
He wasn’t going to get 20 mil per, but he surely was going to going to get a multi year offer. Even the reds will have don’t that. 3/42-45 mil had to have or would have been out there eventually.
He bet on himself
Fever Pitch Guy
Big – Teams tend to extend their best offers to QO’d players before the QO decision deadline. Because unlike other free agents, QO’d players can come off the board early because they tend to take the QO if offers coming in aren’t sufficient.
So if you’re Nick Martinez and the best offers received are around $27M/2 years, you’re gonna take the QO.
Armaments216
Teams won’t think twice about losing a draft pick to sign a Juan Soto, but they’re probably reluctant to pay the penalty to sign a Nick Martinez.
MLB Top 100 Commenter
So, now, maybe trading India for a song is no longer Modi Operandi?
Jarred Kelenic's Beer Can
That convo was all KC trying to figure out which hitters were available and for how much.
redsorbust
Not after 2023 performance. A decent every day starting 2B should fetch something decent back.
roob
Another bad decision by Cincy to offer him that.
Blackpink in the area
Thinking about it I actually think the 1 year is best for both parties. If Martinez repeata his 2024 he’s worth 21 million.
JoeBrady
Easily worth $21M if he repeats.
JackStrawb
@
RodBecksBurnerAccount
Hard to label a one year deal as “bad.”
letitbelowenstein
It’s definitely a smart move on his part.
sad tormented neglected mariners fan
Him accepting the QO is a win-win for both sides
Reds don’t have to commit multiple years to an aging pitcher, Martinez gets to get paid like an ace for a season
Blackpink in the area
We are all aging. And 21 million is not ace pay.
kcmark
Mike Tyson got that for 16 minutes
Alan Horn
I agree. The Reds have Lowder,, Burns and Petty on the way as well as Phillips who likely will move to the BP.. Plus, it cushions against the horrific injury bug the Reds experienced last season. The door is also open to an extension if the situation warrants going forward. Also, one of the younger pitchers could be included in a trade for a good hitting outfielder.
JoeBrady
It depends heavily on health, but that could be a very good rotation.
Smacky
This is not a unique situation. It’s the main thing with every athlete.
Longtimecoming
That is 1 right!
Fever Pitch Guy
Long – Same here! Great minds …
chrcritter
same here
Four4fore
We’re tied.
Phree4u
Did Cincinnati think he would not accept that?
His prospects were like, 3/15 with a QO attached or 1/21
Easy choice.
YankeesBleacherCreature
Then why didn’t Reds offer him 3/18? lol.
Perksy
Because they’re the Reds.
Fever Pitch Guy
YBC – They probably did make an offer or two before he became a free agent. He wanted to see what the market for him is like, now he knows.
gbs42
Phree,
3/15? You’re selling Martinez way short.
Phree4u
Probably a little, but he’s not worthy of 21mil a year.
danm-6
Do you mean 3/45? (As in, 15 per year?)
gbs42
Phree,
I agree he’s not worth $21M, a mistake by the Reds, but at least it’s only a one-year risk.
sad tormented neglected mariners fan
Martinez would’ve aimed above the QO so maybe like 3 years 65 million with of course an opt out somewhere
Jarred Kelenic's Beer Can
21M a year is the going rate for #3-4 starters these days. Aces are making 30-40M a year.
cguy
I agree the Reds would not have offered Nick Martinez $21MM for 1 year had he not pitched for the Reds all of 2024 But having him inthe locker room all year, knowing his work ethic,seeing his veratility first hand counts quite a lot to DJ and Krall. Plus Reds covet Compensation as well as Competition draft picks. Lastly if things don’t go well for the Reds, but Martinez pitches like his 2023 season, he can always be traded as a loaner SP in late August. Maybe even bring back a prospect along with salary relief.
redsorbust
Look at you go. Actually looking at more than just the amount the Reds paid! Digging deep beyond the headlines, your going to put to shame 80% of the people in general who post on the internet!
kcmark
Wacha got that.
CardsFan57
Here’s a list of starters making over $30 million in 2024 according to Spottrac. I added Snell because they had his salary incorrect. There may be others but none jumped out at me.
Max Scherzer
Justin Verlander
Jacob deGrom
Gerrit Cole
Patrick Corbin
Stephen Strausburg
Blake Snell
Cole and Snell pitched well but not very much. This looks like a warning list except for that. Yamamoto will get to $30 million eventually. He didn’t pitch much either.
sad tormented neglected mariners fan
lol Corbin and strasburg still getting paid
When snell retests the waters he can probably stay at 30 mil aav
Zonedeads
Stupid comment! He just made 13m for one year and you think he would only receive 15m for three years? It’s like you guys get on here to say the most random and ignorant thing that crosses your mind
Bobcastelliniscat
Ignorance is in at the moment
Blackpink in the area
He had an excellent year. Look it up. 3 years 15 million? Lol no.
websoulsurfer
Do you mean 3/45? Because Martinez, who made $14 million in 2024, was always going to get at least as much in AAV as the $12 million he gave up opting out of his deal.
Or did you think he was looking at a $5 million per season cut in pay after putting a 3.10 ERA over 142 IP?
JoeBrady
3*15 or $15M/3? Because if you thought he was only getting $15M/3, then you are pretty far afield.
julyn82001
21mill plus for six month of work, huh? not too shabby…
gbs42
july,
You’re aware of pro sports salaries in general, right?
HalosHeavenJJ
It takes ok a lifetime of dedication to the sport to get to this point.
Samuel
“takes a lifetime of dedication…”
HalosHeavenJJ
Oh, Please.
He’s 34 years-old.
Surgeons that save peoples lives or help them walk again. etc. that had years of debt going through college…..intern working on-call 24 hours a day and often working 20 of those hours….then have 20 years of experience which includes training support people ….don’t make $21m a year.
Baseball players are entertainers. Nothing wrong with that. But don’t make them out to be any more than that.
Naylor01
But can a surgeon hit a curveball?
Van Lingle Mungo
Are you saying surgeons are underpaid?
Samuel
Naylor01;
Can a pitcher save the life of a person they don’t know?
Samuel
Van Lingle Mungo;
Compared to pro baseball players?
How old are you?
BigV
Probably
JoeBrady
There are > 200,000 dentists in the US, and only 760 professional BB players. That’s why they get paid a lot.
Or speaking more generally, we might have 100.000 kids graduate with artsy degrees like music, writing, singing, etc. I’d be surprised if even 1% of them get paid real money. The ones that do succeed deserve to get paid off.
Naylor01
Ya and probably people they do know too.
Inside Out
Oh you are one of those.
warnbeeb
A bird in the hand…………..
iron
Holy Backfire, Batman!!! I am sure that they thought it would be an easy comp draft pick.
gbs42
The QO was going to hinder his market significantly. Without it, he probably was looking at something around 3/$40M. With it, maybe 2/$25M or 3/$33M. Accepting was an easy call. Unless he craters, he can top 2/$20M next winter.
roob
He’s too old to get a 3 year offer.
Rexhudler86
@roob. I think that’s what he is saying. If he has another good year. he could probably get a 2/30 deal. He was probably trying to get 3/50. That would be hard for his age and a pick attached.
Big whiffa
lol. Reds knew he was gonna take it and they def wanted him back
iron
That was my point. They should not have offered the QO and negotiated a lesser contract. They could have signed 2 $10mill FA SP’s. including Nick if they wanted.
Tigers3232
@Iron They weren’t going to sign him for $10M. He got 12M last yr and is coming off another good season. There’s a good chance they did try and negotiate a multi yr deal with lower AAV. But he probably was asking for more yrs then they were comfortable with. As for a 2 year deal, they’d have had to offer 33-34M at least considering what he had the qualifying offer as a plan b that he held the cards on.
Last year Lugo and Wacha each got $15M and I believe Maeda got $14M. SP he become very expensive.
iron
@tigers,
That 2 year deal would have afforded the Reds an extra $5 million FA. Bottom line is that the Reds badly miscalculated this move.
MLB Top 100 Commenter
Let’s assume Reds could have got Martinez for two years and $32 million. They may still be happier with one year at $21 million. They will have Chase Burns ready by 2026 to join Greene, Lowder, Lodolo, Abbott, and Petty. Martinez might be a $21 million starter in 2025 but with a little regression to the mean, he would have been an $11 million middle reliever in 2026.
octavian8
I agree. A bit of an overpay. But the state of the roster says now is the time to shove your chips to the center of the table. Young guys we have now will become too expensive to keep them all. Time to win before the window closes.
websoulsurfer
What $10 million FA starting pitchers? Guys like Kyle Gibson cost more than that and put up mid 4 ERAs, not low 3s like Martinez.
This one belongs to the Reds
Burns hasn’t thrown a pitch for them yet. You are assuming a lot.
JoeBrady
They could have signed 2 $10mill FA
=========================
No chance. Plenty of teams would love to have Martinez on their team. Martinez had a year similar to guys like Wacha and Lugo, and look at what they got. What do you think Severino is going to get paid?
Tigers3232
@Iron Those #s are just a low end guess factoring in value of qualifying offer. He could ve easily wanted $40M/2yrs. If he would ve taken a 2 yr deal he’s still got to worry about getting another deal only he’s yet another yr older. With the 1 yr he gets slightly overpaid for a yr and has chance to look for a multi yr deal next season. Also won’t have to worry about QO limiting his value
Joe It All
No they didn’t. The lack of respect I’ve seen Nick Martinez get in this comment section shows me people have no clue how good he was last year. Martinez is well worth the QO and the Reds are ecstatic that he signed it.
Tigers3232
From a Reds perspective yes he was worth using QO. It allowed them to sign him for a shorter deal than he was almost certainly looking for.
The AAV of QO is a bit more than he would ve commanded otherwise which is why he will be slightly overpaid for 2025. That’s not a slight at Martinez, that’s just the reality of his situation. Hopefully he has another good yr in 2025 and signs a multi yr deal somewhere.
octavian8
This probably has an effect on the India/Singer trade although IMHO you can’t have too much pitching. Martinez can always go back to his long relief role if needed but he would be the most expensive long relief role in history. This is what makes off season enjoyable.
joeshmoe11
This changes nothing. Team knew what he was going to do. Half of the commenters think there’s no communication between the front offices and agents.
octavian8
If the front office and Martinez talked and knew what was going to happen they could have made the deal and called it a day. No need for a QO.
octavian8
And why would anyone think there’s no communication between FO and agents? That’s literally their job.
cguy
If KC wants India, they have alot more to offer than Singer, Their backup catcher is prearb and had a think 3.5 WAR season in 2024. Their #2 and #5 prospects are catchers as well. I don’t see the Reds completing the deal for Singer, unless they doubt the health of one of Lodolo, Abbott for 2025.
sillywabbit
I believe Singer is an overpay for India. Starting pitching is much more difficult to secure.
David White
The most expensive long reliever in MLB history is likely David Price 2022 getting paid $31 million.
CaseyAbell
A little odd after a 4.0 bWAR season. Martinez was very quietly a terrific pitcher in 2024, significantly better than a lot of other hurlers with bigger reputations. And Martinez already has career earnings of $34 million, so it’s not like he was desperate to grab the first offer.
But I guess the guaranteed $21 million payday was tempting enough. That’ll bring his career take up to $55 million. Not bad. And that doesn’t count the money he earned in Japan.
Phree4u
No brainer actually, he had good results in 2024, but I would say that’s probably not repeatable.
He gets a much better AAV than he would have ever sniffed.
And if he can repeat his success or build on it, he will get some good offers next season without a QO attached.
I’m actually shocked the reds gambled and thought they’d get a comp pick.
CaseyAbell
I dunno, in San Diego he put up 2.7 bWAR for 2022-2023 in a little over 200 innings. Maybe 2024 was something of an outlier, but it’s not like he’s stunk since his return from Japan. My guess is that he could have gotten more than $21 million from somebody else.
MLBTR’s musings about three years and $39 million seem a little much to me. But he could probably have snared $30 million from some team on a multi-year deal. He decided to bet on himself, though. If he comes close to repeating 2024, he’s set up for a really nice deal next offseason, especially because there will be no QO.
Blackpink in the area
If you have me on mute then don’t reply to my comments. That’s lame.
JackStrawb
3/39m is “A little much” for a 34 year old who just put up the best season and the most innings of his MLB career?
That’s hardly true when guys like Taijuan Walker and Jameson Taillon pulled down 4/72m and 4/68m in their recent free agencies.
sillywabbit
Walker’s contract at the time was widely panned as an overpay. It’s panned out that way too.
Fever Pitch Guy
Phree – He has a 3.45 ERA in 2022-2023 and you say good results aren’t repeatable after 3 consecutive years of good results? The dude could be the next Seth Lugo, he improved 3 consecutive years and has built up his innings from 106 to 142.
I know how many of these teams think …. they focus on the drop down to 20% K Ratio while ignoring the huge drop in BB Ratio. It’s all about the K’s these days.
Blackpink in the area
Why isn’t it repeatable?
gbs42
4.0 bWAR after never topping 1.5 previously plus several years overseas pretty much screams “career year.”
Fever Pitch Guy
gbs – Look at the increase in the number of starts and innings pitched from 2022-2023, huge increases.
Just curious, do you think this year was a career year for Lugo? He had a 5.3 WAR after never having higher than a 2.1 WAR.
Jarred Kelenic's Beer Can
Martinez’s track record is a bit sketchy and he’s 34. 2024 was a career year for him and it’s likely he regresses to his usual stats next season, assuming he doesn’t get hurt. 21M is a no brainer.
websoulsurfer
I think he will regress slightly as well. He got more starts and IP by about 40% in Cincinnati than he did in San Diego, so that accounts for much of his increase in WAR.
If he regresses to the 3.45 ERA he produced in San Diego he would still worth $12 million AAV or slightly more on a 2 to3-year deal and won’t have the QO weighing down his potential salary. If he repeats 2024 in terms of ERA and IP, he will be worth as much as $15-17 million AAV. Eovaldi money.
raulp
$21MM/year is a little above market value for his profile, but not for much. On the other hand, Reds starting rotation moves towards 2025 with less uncertainty as Martinez, Greene, Abbott, Lodolo and Lowder make for a very good roster, with Philips, Petty and Burns in the wings.
marcfrombrooklyn
People forget that the market rate for starting pitching tends to be higher than on-field production would otherwise suggest due to scarcity just as the market rate for DH/1B/below-average corner OF is probably below on-field production value due to an overabundance of such players.
Big whiffa
I actually like the singer option a little more now.
Greene
Singer
Martinez
Abbott
Lowder
Move Lodolo to pen
Solid staff ! Lots of other good pieces there for long relief spot starts and back end relief
bwmiller79
Not at the cost of a player like Jonathan India, he is the veteran presence on a team stacked with young talent. India and Stephenson are the captains of this team. Singer is a quality starter, on paper the trade looks great, but to lose India comes with the added risk of losing your teams unity. Can’t trade India.
raulp
I hope they won’t move India, it wouldn’t make sense after having so many players coming back from injuries and/or underperforming years: McClain, CES, Marte and Candelario.
Casor_Greener
Team unity is highly over rated. Professional sports are games of mercenaries.
bwmiller79
Tigers proved otherwise this year, it was youthful exuberance and a spirited team that had them in the playoffs.
joeshmoe11
Again with the “India is a team leader” bull. He’s an ok hitter, a terrible defender, and thinks much more highly of himself than others do. Maile was the leader the past 2 seasons
Jarred Kelenic's Beer Can
Right? A better argument would be that India was an above league average hitter in a lineup that was near the bottom in a ton of offensive categories in 2024. The Reds need bats, and India is a decent one to have around.
Jarred Kelenic's Beer Can
That, and beating up on the White Sox certainly doesn’t hurt.
Alan Horn
You have a problem with where to play India for regular ABs if McClain plays 2B and they go and get a good hitting outfielder. You have Marte, who may or may not pan out, but it is too early (this off season) to give up on him.. If they could move Candelario, India could assume his role moving around several positions including DH. India and Marte could be your immediate choices for 3B. Then you have Arroyo who should crack the lineup at some time in the future. Not far behind should be Collier and Stewart.
Jarred Kelenic's Beer Can
Marte has options so they can send him back to AAA if he struggles out of the gate. He’s pretty tough to gauge as a player. He was great initially, got popped for PEDs, and then was really
bad after his return. He is young, and still top-prospecty, but whether or not he’s a legitimate talent to build around remains to be seen.
Big whiffa
Probably due to poor player development on reds part. I expect him to be clean and bounce back this year. I think him and McClain will both spend time in Louisville this season though
bwmiller79
Maile is a club house guy too, a good defensive catcher, a nice backup catcher who should stick around with the Red’s not having much of a need at DH.
But they are looking for a place to jam their prospects, and they are deep at MI with Arroyo and Marte. But India has a nice .OBP, hits for a little power, has a little speed, and has been at the top of the Red’s lineup, when healthy, for the last four seasons. He’s a proven MLB all star caliber player, and while I’m not in the club house, India has the most tenure on that team, him and Stephenson, so I’d say he has to be the captain in regards to accolades and tenure. Trade the prospects, find a way to get both India and McClain in the lineup.
Cincyfan85
People aren’t giving Nick Martinez his due. He was better than Michael Wacha, who signed for 3yr/$51m, while pitching half at Great American Ballpark. $17m annually with a longer commitment versus 1 year/$21m. It’s not that far off. The Reds gave Frankie Montas a one year, higher salary deal in 2024. I think they wanted to retain Martinez and didn’t expect him to decline. He was their 2025 Montas deal…
M. WACHA – 3.5bWAR, 166.2 IP, 126 ERA+, 1.194 WHIP
N. MARTINEZ – 4.0 bWAR, 142.1 IP, 142 ERA+, 1.026 WHIP
Roll2
This. His road numbers were incredible. Clearly his age and the pick hurt him. Might be a huge midseason trade chip.
This one belongs to the Reds
Good for both sides.
The Reds had to know they could handle it. That brings their salaries only abut 5 million north of last year because they signed Montas for 16 million.
Thwy are still counting on Lodolo to start a full season unless they actually still trade for Singer. This smacked him the past two years.
Otherwise, I fear they are done adding, unless they trade, which this front office does not too smartly, or much at all.
Big whiffa
Go get Luis Robert to anchor lineup and trade India for singer
Sprotstrac has them at 90 mil or so. Why do u think they owe Montas 16 mil when he’s a FA not on their roster ?
This one belongs to the Reds
Reading is a skill.
They swapped out the Montas 16 million contract last year for the Martinez 21 million one this year. That only sends the payroll up 5 million.
joeshmoe11
Martinez made $13 and Montas $16. That’s $29 million. There’s $8M. Plus they had Votto’s buyout at $5M. That’s $13M LESS than last year. There are raises to be paid for sure but they’re spending much less right now
Big whiffa
Right. You can go to sportstrac.com and read their payroll projection. It’s a sophisticated website covering all sports and contracts. They do an excellent job and it’s a fantastic asset to use along side mlb trade rumors and free agent signings to help the commenters make sense with their posts. That’s how I came to the conclusion reds still have 10 mill before they hit last seasons payroll. Thank god I have the skill to read
websoulsurfer
Actually Spotrac.com misses about 3/4 of the facts. Its 2 guys trying to cover 11 sports and they make huge mistakes
Try a site that is accurate like Cots Baseball Contracts.
The Reds are $2 million over their actual 40-man salary from 2024 and about $6 million under their 2024 CBT payroll.
Armaments216
I expect they’ll probably try convert some of the money committed to their IF (Candelario, India). If not a straight-up trade then just freeing up some payroll to sign a lower tier OF/DH.
This one belongs to the Reds
If they can get a bag of broken bats or a 30 year old AA catcher with bad knees for Candelario, it would be a good trade.
They need to talk to the Yankees. They always have “prospects” they want to unload.
Alan Horn
Give the Yankees(or whomever) a mid level prospect to take the salary off our hands.
bwmiller79
I checked there pipeline, they have some nice SP prospects on the cusp, and if I remember correctly, Brandon Williamson was a pretty nice prospect with the Mariners too, unsure what his contract looks like, but he has potential to return to an MLB rotation, unsure why they would trade for a starter, especially with Martinez back in the fold. If you are in the hunt at the trade deadline, make a trade, add a starter, trade your prospects, Nolve Marte, Joey Weimer, these are names that still have resonance and will get a deal done for a short term rental should you need to add to the rotation or bullpen, and its the Red’s bullpen that looks to be the soft spot on this team.
octavian8
Williams is out for next year. But he should return at the end of Martinez’s contract
earmbrister
Very happy to have Nick Martinez back. He gives the Reds a valuable swing man capability while being top notch as a long reliever.
Lindor's Bodyguard
Good for Nick!
YaGottaBelieveAgain
If Mr. Martinez has even a decent year (doesn’t have to be exceptional) (Plus he won’t be able to receive a second QO ever) – he should be able to sign something in the neighborhood of 3 years for a total of 45M.
Some team may even go 4 years.
CardsFan57
I think he’s smart in betting he will have another good year and cash in next year on a longer term deal. Worst case he ends his career and has to live on whatever he’s saved from over $50 million he’s earned in his career.
Badfinger
Whoops. That backfired.
LordD99
Smart move. With this QO, he’ll now bank over $50M since his return to MLB, and he can become a free agent next season $21 million richer without a comp pick attached.
Salzilla
Point! All down hill from here, lol.
But I think this one was a no-brainer for Martinez. He wasn’t making that on a lengthier deal, but now if he repeats he will get a decent one without a QO attached.
Slider_withcheese
Nick Martinez is making 5.5 million more this year than peak Randy Johnson made just 20 years ago, so get off my lawn
Rsox
The market for Martinez was never going to get where he would better this deal. A swing man with $21 million is back pocket, draft pick compensation attached and likely looking for another multi year deal with multiple opt-outs could have been watching opening day from his couch if he doesn’t accept
Blackpink in the area
That’s nonsense. I would take Martinez over Nick Pivetta 10 times out of 10. At least Martinez has actually had a good season unlike Pivetta.
Joe Sweetnich
Not a genius move by a small market team like the Reds. Even though it’s only 1 year, still a terrible mistake
Blackpink in the area
Why?
These responses here are flat out stupid. He was worth his much in 2024. Will he repeat or have an even better 2025? Who knows but he performed up to this contract in 2024.
slasher016
Reds make roughly $110MM before selling a single ticket or advertisement. They can pretend that a $100MM payroll is a stretch but it’s a lie.
This one belongs to the Reds
Not sure how you determine that but you realize salaries aren’t the only expense a baseball team has, right?
That being said, Buffalo Bob could spend more, he has spent 140 million on payroll before but that was also when they had a RSN deal.
Mercenary.Freddie.Freeman
lol reds. This money could have been spent elsewhere.
Johnny U
I feel this is an excellent move for 1 year of a valuable arm that worked for this team in the rotation and pen. After Looking over the available FA pitchers not sure they could have done better on years-cost…. Hopefully they can sign another arm for the pen and get an actual star OF instead of the carousel of 4th caliber players…
octavian8
You’re correct about our outfield. If we had a power bat in RF this could be a potent lineup from top to bottom.
Blackpink in the area
Why is it numerous people think Pivetta and Severino are worth the 21 million yet most people think Martinez isn’t? Martinez actually had a good year in 2024. Pivetta and Severino did not.
Armaments216
And that good year included pitching half his games in Cincy’s bandbox.
Blackpink in the area
Yeah Reds fans were arguing with me yesterday about how Brady Singer wouldn’t be any good in that ballpark. Where are they today? There are no guarantees here but Martinez was worth this much in 2024 it’s not a stretch to say he’s worth this in 2025.
Johnny Vander Meer
I believe Martinez had a great year. However, I completely disagree that Severino had a bad year. 182 innings of 3.91 ERA. 1.6 bWAR. Not bad at all.
Blackpink in the area
That’s an ok year. It’s not worth 21 million. Under no circumstances is 1.6 WAR and a 3.91 ERA with an even worse FIP worth 21 million.
wvredsfan
I like the move from both perspectives…Nick gets a nice paycheck for the year and it basically just cost the Reds 8 million… and they can always agree on a multi year contract…
aragon
This probably was a family decision.
LordD99
Discussion with wife:
Nick Martinez: The Red’s have offered me $21 million, but I’m thinking I’ll…
Wife: Take it.
bwmiller79
What kind of contract is Elly De La Cruz going to command, I imagine the Red’s are going to extend him soon, I imagine he is looking for a Ronald Acuna type deal, which is actually a team friendly deal, De La Cruz probably seeking more in truth, but imagine what the Red’s could get in return if they considered trading their star shortstop, might not be popular with the fans, but if they could get a super haul of prospects, it might be an option to consider.
YankeesBleacherCreature
Acuna Jr.’s contract was signed almost five years ago. A De La Cruz deal would come in slightly lower than Bobby Witt, Jr.’s contract.
This one belongs to the Reds
They should have already done it, along with a few more. Greene has been it. If they break up another bunch like the past two teams they put together, people will be done with them, I should say those who are not already.
Armaments216
It takes both sides to reach an agreement. Greene signed his extension coming off TJS. For position players there’s not the same risk in waiting for free agency.
This one belongs to the Reds
True, but when you have players that saw the team didn’t support them the last two deadlines and players saying they haven’t even approached me, we see history repeating itself…too often.
Armaments216
Yeah, the conversations should at least be happening even if they don’t reach any agreements.
octavian8
Elly has made it clear he wants to play in LA. Highly doubtful an extension is even possible
Baseballisthebest
That was the no-brainer of the offseason.
YankeesBleacherCreature
Jordan Montgomery option pickup runner-up.
Jarred Kelenic's Beer Can
It’s a tie with Haniger picking up his option.
jeffmaz
Congrats to Nicky tight pants for getting a big payout. As a Padre, he was a favorite player
runningwithnailclippers
He will look good to a team at the trade deadline if the Reds are sinking. I hope they are not, as I like the team, but he could be a good starter for a team in the playoff hunt.
runningwithnailclippers
Also, Santiago Espinal is going nowhere. The team really loves the guy and he hit clutch throughout the season and can fill=in a few positions. I wouldn’t be surprised if they extend him on the low.
This one belongs to the Reds
Had a bad start but ended up being one of their more consistent hitters and can play anywhere. Why wouldn’t they love him?
This one belongs to the Reds
On the other hand, Espinal is due a raise and will be a utility player, provided everyone is healthy (a big if). If they non-tender him just because of that, it would not surprise me with this bunch.
cguy
Are we all certain this isn’t just a last 24 hour maneuver by Scott Boras to jack up Martinez multi year offer(s)? Awful subdued for Boras so far.
bpskelly
He’s halfway decent, he’s 34, and he’s getting 20+ million.
I’d call that winning.
SteveFinleyEnthusiast
Good for Nick. A guaranteed $21M is nothing to scoff at.
Crash_n_burn
In MLB no such thing as a bad 1 year deal, man gets life changing money, doesn’t have to worry about the qualifying offer again, and should he pitch well again next season can get a 2/3 year deal for decent money,
The Reds get what they believe is a solid starter for a season, should they fall out of contention they can trade him eat some $$ and get a decent prospect back for long term building should things not work out.
Wins all around.
wrich
The reds badly need an innings eater , I really I think Lance Lynn would be a great addition for fourth or fifth starter
wrich
I really think, my bad
GabeOfThrones
Breaking news: Reds looking to trade Nick Martinez.
Old York
Should be interesting how he performs next year. He essentially didn’t walk any batters but had a fairly average K% of 20%. I feel like he’s overperforming.
His ERA is lower than his SIERA, FIP & xFIP, which could suggest some overperformance relative to expected metrics. Additionally, his BABIP (batting average on balls in play) is below the league average, which might indicate he’s benefiting from strong defense or some luck on batted balls.
His cutter, a significant pitch in his arsenal, has been effective but with slightly reduced velocity, which might be a factor to watch for regression or adjustment by hitters
Given it’s just a 1-year deal, it’s not a terrible idea to keep him on the roster but I’d be looking at some regression coming in 2024.
Jjjj
It is a really nice deal for Martinez and an okay deal for the Reds for an exceptionally good fit in their club. It is a unique service and role that he provides and which the Reds particularly value. Are there other pitchers of his quality and maturity who would willingly shuffle back and forth like he has and succeed at it? Not that I’m aware of. He sets the whole staff up to succeed. What a guy, honestly. And a confidence building move from ownership too.
cooperhill
Old news. Been on here 3 times now.
runningwithnailclippers
Eveyrone says Martinez was/is a “halfway decent” pitcher yet he ranked 8th last in WAR for pitchers. Pretty sure that is much better than being halfway decent. He has been a reliable pitcher and last year it showed. Perfect reason to get a raise for one year and to stick with the team (in the Reds’ minds).
runningwithnailclippers
Also, a 4 WAR pitcher is valued somwhere between $26-30 million per year (metrics). So, the Reds really got a great deal last year and are betting on another one this year (still at a relative savings for them by win).
This one belongs to the Reds
Everyone knows what I think WAR is good for, but the eyeballs know this is a good deal for both sides, with so much uncertainty with the staff outside of Greene right now.
I actually watched the guy pitch. He knows how to set up batters. I hope he rubs off on some of the other guys like Abbott and Lodolo.
AZPat
Whether Martinez signs or not, really doesn’t matter. The bad news is the Reds want to go in with a $105 Million dollar budget. No ones won a World Series with that budget since 2006. But, I guess just making the playoffs is all we can hope for.
John Bird
For everyone who picked the Reds in the contest, congrats you’re tied for 1st. Enjoy it while it lasts.
Joe It All
Reading the comments in here tell me that a lot of the people that comment on here don’t actually watch baseball. The fact that people don’t realize how good Nick Martinez was last year and think this is an overpay is hilarious. So many people are basing their comments off of name recognition and they couldn’t be more clueless. The Reds are stoked to get Martinez back for the QO and Nick Martinez is worth every penny.
The only no-brainer attached to this QO are coming from the people who are clueless about Martinez.