Report: Cardinals, Carlos Martinez agree to five-year, $51 million extension
The St. Louis Cardinals have agreed to a five-year, $51 million contract extension with starting pitcher Carlos Martinez, reports FanRag Sports' Jon Heyman.
The deal is a record for a first-time arbitration-eligible player and includes two additional option years.
The amount breaks the previous record for a first-time arbitration-eligible pitcher, which was set by Cleveland Indians ace Corey Kluber after he signed a five-year, $38.5 million deal in 2015.
Martinez had been set for an arbitration hearing on Feb. 8.
The 25-year-old Martinez went 16–9 with a 3.04 ERA and 174 strikeouts last season.
Martinez is one of the most effective ground-ball pitchers in the National League, inducing 33 double plays and ranking second in the NL with a ground-ball percentage of 57.7.
- Scooby Axson
