The move locks down our potential closer long-term.
Some unexpected news emerged from D-backs spring camp today, as reports surfaced that reliever Justin Martinez has signed a five-year contract extension. The deal was first reported by Moises Fabian, with John Gambadoro providing additional details.
According to Gambadoro, the contract is worth $18 million over five years, including a $2 million signing bonus and $16 million distributed throughout the deal. The agreement also includes two club option years, valued at $7 million and $9 million.
Ari Alexander later followed up with a detailed breakdown of the contract structure.
- $2 million signing bonus
- 2025: $1.5 million
- 2026: $2 million
- 2027: $3 million
- 2028: $4 million
- 2029: $5.5 million
- 2030: $7 million club option
- 2031: $9 million club option
Martinez currently has just over a year of service time, meaning the first two years of his new deal would have been pre-arbitration seasons. The team is paying more than the usual salary for a pre-arb player, but in return, they gain cost certainty for his arbitration years from 2027-29.This deal may suggest that the D-backs view Martinez as their long-term closer. Arbitration salaries for relievers are often influenced by save totals, which can significantly drive up costs. By locking in Martinez now, the team avoids the potential for escalating arbitration salaries.
For context, Paul Sewald signed a $7 million contract with Cleveland in January, making the price the D-backs are paying for Martinez during his arbitration years seem like a solid value, even before factoring in inflation.
There are certainly risks involved with this deal. Martinez has only logged 82.2 innings in the majors, and just two years ago, he struggled significantly, walking more batters (11) than innings pitched (10) and posting a 12.60 ERA. However, last season was a breakthrough for him—he paired his 100+ mph fastball with the ability to generate both whiffs and groundballs.
While he’s expected to share closing duties with A.J. Puk at the start of the season, this contract signals the team’s confidence in his long-term potential. If he continues to develop as expected, he could very well become the first Diamondbacks pitcher to reach 100 career saves with the team—surpassing Jose Valverde’s franchise record of 98.