Following a 2015 campaign that saw historic numbers in terms of pitching, the St. Louis Cardinals entered 2016 with high expectations from their pitching staff. Unfortunately, inconsistency was the theme for Cardinal hurlers, with the lone bright spot in the rotation being right-hander, Carlos Martinez.
Martinez logged a career high 195 1/3 innings this season, boasting a 3.04 ERA, 174 strikeouts, and earning 16 wins to lead the rotation. This following his first full season as a starter in which he garnered 14 wins, 184 strikeouts, and a 3.01 ERA earning him All-Star honors in 2015.
According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals are fully aware of the clear, elite level of pitching the 25-year-old has displayed in his young career, and both parties have mutual interest in a contract extension.
Martinez signed with the Cardinals as an international free agent from the Dominican Republic in 2010, and made his major league debut in 2013. He is arbitration eligible for the first time in his career entering 2017, prompting both the Cardinals and Martinez to consider a long-term deal. Martinez is set to be a free agent entering the 2020 season, however, if a deal is reached, the Cardinals must include his first year of free agency in the contract per MLB rule.
In recent history, the Cardinals have shown commitment to core members of the franchise by avoiding arbitration and instead inking contract extensions. Most recently, 2B Kolten Wong signed a 5 year extension in his first year of arbitration eligibility, joining Adam Wainwright, Yadier Molina, and Matt Carpenter who did the same.
With the Cardinals opting to let Matt Holliday go, and as the careers of Wainwright and Molina wind down, Martinez is paving the way for a new era of Cardinal baseball. Sporting an electric fastball, complimented by a sinker, slider, and changeup, Martinez certainly has the stuff to be dominant for years to come.
At just 25 years of age, Martinez’s composure has been questioned often. However, he was far more in control of his emotions in 2016 as opposed to 2015, proving that he is maturing as a Major Leaguer. His best days are still ahead, and with another season under his belt, he’ll look to build off of an already remarkable start to his career. A contract extension this offseason would only confirm the belief that Carlos Martinez is the future of the Cardinal rotation.
