Only 1 MLB player accepted his qualifying offer
Oct 2, 2022; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; A view of the MLB logo in the dugout during the game between the Washington Nationals and the Philadelphia Phillies at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Scott Taetsch-USA TODAY Sports
Nick Martinez is a lone wolf this offseason.
13 different players were given qualifying offers by their clubs this offseason. According to a report from MLB.com reporter Mark Feinsand, Martinez is the only player to have accepted the offer.
The list of players who did not accept their qualifying offer and will instead test free agency includes: Juan Soto, Pete Alonso, Alex Bregman, Willy Adames, Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, Teoscar Hernández, Anthony Santander, Christian Walker, Sean Manaea, Luis Severino and Nick Pivetta.
The value of qualifying offers for 2025 was $21.05 million. So Martinez will return to the Cincinnati Reds in 2025 for $21.05 million. All the other players are banking that they will receive better deals in free agency. The clubs whose offer was turned down will receive a draft pick in return.
Martinez has pitched as both a starter and reliever during his career. He spent 2014-2017 with the Texas Rangers, 2022-2023 with the San Diego Padres, and last season with Cincinnati. He spent 2018-2021 in Japan.
Martinez went 10-7 with a 3.10 ERA overall in 2024. He appeared in 42 games and made 16 starts, while totaling 142.1 innings. Martinez put up strong numbers after moving back into Cincinnati’s rotation in August.
Now that Nick Martinez is back, officially, let’s revisit how dang good he was once he moved back into the rotation on August 5th…
11 starts
63.1 IP
2.42 ERA/3.25 FIP
0.90 WHIP
18.4 K-BB%So happy to have him back. He’s such a quality arm.
— Bryce Spalding (@bryce_spalding) November 19, 2024
Martinez had a $12 million player option for 2025 that he declined. He is going to earn $9 million more via the qualifying offer.
Martinez is just the 14th player to accept a qualifying offer since the system was implemented in 2012.