I gave up my salary of 16.7 billion won and became a FA…Re-signing for KRW 24.9 billion a year, the ransom was called for the third consecutive year. “God of opt-out.”

It would be no exaggeration to say that he is the god of opting out. Pitcher Nick Martinez has accepted the Cincinnati Reds’ qualifying offer. He became an FA, but he accepted a one-year contract worth 21.05 million U.S. dollars without going to the market.

Major League Baseball reporter Francis Romero said on the 18th (Korea Standard Time), right-hander Martinez accepted Cincinnati’s qualifying offer and remained on the team.

Martinez signed a two-year, $26 million FA contract with Cincinnati in November last year. The terms included opt-outs, receiving $14 million in 2024 and $12 million in 2025.

Martinez, who had a career-high season with 10 wins, 7 losses, 6 holds, a 3.10 strikeout and 116 strikeouts in 42 games (16 starts, 142 ⅓ innings) this year, opts out by giving up a guaranteed salary of $12 million in 2025.

Then, Cincinnati also made a qualifying offer of 21.05 million dollars per year. Some said it was a bit of a surprise. It was not easy to invest 21.05 million dollars in a high salary in a pitcher who had never been a full-time starter. It was all the more burdensome because it was a small market Cincinnati.

Martinez, however, had five wins and two losses with an earned run average of 2.42 strikeouts and 53 strikeouts in the last 11 games (63 ⅓ innings) of this season. Notably, he was named the “Pitcher of the Month” by the National 토토사이트 League with four wins and one loss with an earned run average of 0.83 strikeouts and 30 strikeouts in five games (32 ⅔ innings) in September. Cincinnati, where key starters including Hunter Green (elbow), Nick Rodolo (nerve, finger) and Andrew Abbott (shoulder) were listed as injured during the season, needed Martinez even to maintain the starting depth.

Martinez, a client of Scott Boras, decided to accept the qualifying offer without going to the FA market. With a long-term contract in his mid-30s, he chose to get a high salary even though it was a one-year contract.

As a result, Martinez increased his salary by giving up the guaranteed contract. It is his third successful opt-out. Martinez, who returned to the big leagues by signing a four-year, $25.5 million contract with the San Diego Padres in December 2021 after playing in the Japanese pro baseball league for four years from 2018 to 2021, has added conditions for opt-out every year.

Martinez, who became an FA due to opt-out after the 2022 season, won a three-year, $26 million contract. If the existing contract was maintained as a guarantee contract, it was a contract to receive $6.5 million more since he received three years and $19.5 million. The new contract is one plus two years, guaranteed an annual salary of $10 million in 2023 and includes a $16 million team option each from 2024 to 2025. If the club does not execute the option, the condition was that the player could execute the $8 million player option each from 2024 to 2025.

Last year, San Diego recorded six wins, four losses, one save, 15 holds, and an ERA of 3.43 strikeouts in 63 games (nine starts, 110 ⅓ innings), but the team gave up its option. Then Martinez also joined the free agent market by giving up the option of a two-year, 16-million-dollar player, and secured a two-year, 26-million-dollar contract with Cincinnati.

Until the acceptance of the qualifying offer, Martinez has successfully been called an opt-out for the last three years in a row. Although he has no significant long-term contracts, he has steadily increased his ransom by using opt-outs.

According to the “Cincinnati Inquirer” on the 8th, Martinez said, “I’m getting older, and it’s time to show my best ability. I want to win. Winning is my top priority. I think it’s a good opportunity for Cincinnati to appoint coach Terry Francona,” indicating the possibility of staying. With the new appointment of the “master” Francona, who led the Boston Red Sox to two World Series championships, Martinez will also be able to develop his dream of winning.