Breaking: Major star agrees to $21.05 million qualifying offer to stay with the Reds.

Terdoo Israel

**CINCINNATI** — Pitcher Nick Martinez has accepted a $21.05 million qualifying offer from the Cincinnati Reds, choosing to stay with the team instead of entering free agency.

Martinez, a 34-year-old right-hander, was one of 13 free agents who received qualifying offers from their previous teams on November 4. Players had until 4 p.m. EST on Tuesday to make their decision. Martinez’s agent, Scott Boras, confirmed that the pitcher had informed the players’ association of his decision to accept the offer. The union will notify Major League Baseball of all player choices.

Introduced after the 2012 season, qualifying offers are based on the average salary of the 125 highest-paid players in the most recent season. Prior to this offseason, only 13 out of 131 qualifying offers had been accepted.

Martinez can only receive a qualifying offer once in his career, so he would be eligible to enter free agency next offseason without a draft-pick compensation attached.

MLB Trade Rumors] Nick Martinez To Accept Qualifying Offer From Reds : r/Reds

Martinez had agreed to a one-year, $14 million deal with the Reds last December, which included a $12 million player option he declined. In the 2023 season, he posted a 10-7 record with a 3.10 ERA over 16 starts and 26 relief appearances, striking out 116 batters and walking just 18 in 142 1/3 innings.

Over his seven-year career with the Texas Rangers (2014-2017), San Diego Padres (2022-2023), and Cincinnati Reds, Martinez has a 37-45 record with a 4.09 ERA. He also spent four seasons pitching in Japan between 2018 and 2021.

Other notable players who received qualifying offers include New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto, Baltimore Orioles pitcher Corbin Burnes, and Boston Red Sox pitcher Nick Pivetta, among others.

If a free agent who declines a qualifying offer signs with a new team, the signing club must forfeit at least one draft pick and potentially some international signing bonus pool money. Conversely, a team that loses a qualifying free agent receives an additional draft pick as compensation.

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