ST. LOUIS – In the final days of negotiations, the biggest thing standing in the way of the St. Louis Cardinals signing pitcher Carlos Martinez to a long-term deal was a few hundred kilometers of ocean.
“It’s not easy to get in touch at sea,” general manager John Mozeliak explained.
But once Martinez had wrapped up the team’s annual Caribbean cruise over the weekend, the two sides were able to put the finishing touches on a record-breaking deal. During a news conference Thursday, the Cardinals announced their five-year pact with the talented young right-hander that includes a pair of club options that could keep him in St. Louis through the 2023 season.
The contract is worth $51 million, and includes $1 million signing bonus payable within 30 days of the deal’s approval by the commissioner’s office. He gets a $3.5 million salary this season — of which $500,000 also is payable within 30 days of approval — and $11.5 million each of the next four years.
“A lot of people were asking me (on the cruise) but I didn’t say anything. I didn’t mention the contract,” Martinez said with a grin.
The 25-year-old Martinez made his big league debut with St. Louis in 2013, but he really broke onto the national scene two years ago, when he went 14-7 with a 3.01 ERA and was voted an All-Star. He followed up with a 16-9 record and a 3.04 ERA in 31 starts last season.
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