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A20 SPORTS
Saturday 4 February 2017
Carlos Martinez agrees to $51M, 5-year deal with Cards

DAVE SKRETTA ing me (on the cruise) but I different than someone hit-
AP Sports Writer didn’t say anything. I didn’t ting free agency at 32 and
In the final days of nego- mention the contract,” not having to earn much at
tiations, the biggest thing Martinez said with a grin. that point. Carlos felt it was
standing in the way of the “I just said my lawyers and important to get something
St. Louis Cardinals signing John were in conversa- done now.”
pitcher Carlos Martinez to tions.” Martinez, speaking through
a long-term deal was a few The contract breaks the re- a translator, called the
hundred miles of ocean. cord for a pitcher reaching contract “something I’ve
“It’s not easy to get in touch arbitration for the first time, always dreamed of for my-
at sea,” general manager surpassing the $38.5 million, self, for my family, since I
John Mozeliak explained. five-year deal that the Indi- was a little boy growing up
But once Martinez had ans signed with Corey Klu- in the Dominican Repub-
wrapped up the team’s an- ber in 2015. lic.” “Thinking of my future,
nual Caribbean cruise over The 25-year-old Martinez my age, I really thought
the weekend, the two sides In this Sept. 30, 2016, file photo, St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher made his big league debut this was an opportunity I
were able to put the finish- Carlos Martinez throws during the first inning of a baseball game with St. Louis in 2013, but he couldn’t let go of,” he said.
ing touches on a record- against the Pittsburgh Pirates in St. Louis. really broke onto the na- “The Cardinals were offer-
breaking deal. During a Associated Press tional scene two years ago, ing it to me and I said, ‘Why
news conference Thursday, approval by the commis- for 2023 with a $500,000 when he went 14-7 with a not?’”
the Cardinals announced sioner’s office. He gets a buyout, potentially raising 3.01 ERA and was voted an The Cardinals were pre-
their five-year pact with $3.5 million salary this sea- the total to $85.5 million. All-Star. He followed up with pared to take Martinez
the talented young right- son — of which $500,000 Martinez would get a a 16-9 record and a 3.04 to an arbitration hearing
hander that includes a also is payable within 30 $500,000 assignment bonus ERA in 31 starts last season. scheduled for next week
pair of club options that days of approval — and if traded between now and “This type of contract is all after failing to reach a one-
could keep him in St. Louis $11.5 million each of the the end of the 2019 season, about the future,” Mozeliak year deal. They had of-
through the 2023 season. next four years. and a $1 million assignment said. “This is about future fered $3.9 million and the
The contract is worth $51 St. Louis has a $17 million op- bonus if traded after that. earnings, and when you pitcher’s representatives
million, and includes $1 mil- tion for 2022 with a $500,000 Starting in 2020, he gets a have someone at 25 years filed for $4.25 million, a gap
lion signing bonus payable buyout and, if that is exer- hotel suite on road trips. old who can hit free agen- that meant the sides were
within 30 days of the deal’s cised, an $18 million option “A lot of people were ask- cy at 28, his leverage is far at least close to a deal.q