Martinez accepts Reds' 1-year, $21.05M qualifying offer
Right-hander Nick Martinez said Monday that he accepted the one-year, $21.05-million qualifying offer from the Cincinnati Reds.
Martinez had until 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday to decide if he wanted to take the qualifying offer. He would've been attached to draft-pick compensation in free agency if he rejected it.
"We were definitely hearing calls, taking them, and seeing what was out there," Martinez said, according to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. "We're still able to talk (with the Reds) about a multi-year deal. To my understanding, that's still on the table. We're continuing to talk and see what we can do."
The 34-year-old added: "This was just because of deadlines and stuff to accept the qualifying offer. Being in Cincy, to run it back with these guys, was a better option for me. I'm comfortable with these guys. I'm excited to run it back with them."
Martinez is coming of a career season, authoring a 3.10 ERA with 1.03 WHIP and 116 strikeouts over 142 1/3 innings (16 starts) in 2024. His 3.5 fWAR was easily the best total he's amassed across seven years in the majors.