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 miles 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 a $4.5 million bonus and salary this season and $11.5 million each of the next four years, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the terms were not disclosed.
The options are for $17 million in 2022 and $18 million the following year with a $500,000 buyout, potentially taking the total value of the contract to $85.5 million.