I’ve always been intrigued by how the mainstream baseball media handles the entire Qualifying Offer. As if it were some sort of court-ordered diversion program or military conscription, the legalese of the Quote itself, the implications it has for the player, the team, and any other teams interested in signing that player, are all covered. Nick Martinez anticipated accepting the Cincinnati Reds’ qualifying offer, wearing their uniform for a year, and then being allowed to return to civilian life. By the way, that’s the news here. Over the weekend, Romero, a baseball writer and member, reported that Martinez will accept the Reds Quote before Tuesday’s deadline, which means he will rejoin the Reds for the 2025 season on a salary just north of
I understand the procedure. I understand the amount of market research Martinez and agent Scott Boreas had to do in the two weeks leading up to Tuesday’s deadline, essentially assessing what would have been an entire off-season of possible interest from other teams (remembering that Martinez would have draft-pick implications if he turned down the Quote and reached free agency). It’s not simple. This distinction is significant enough to set it apart from other, more conventional contract conversations. Nick undoubtedly wishes he hadn’t been given the QO so he could have entered “free” agency as a player with far more freedom than one who is surrounded by draft-pick rumors. He probably would have signed a big, multi-year contract, maybe even one that would have kept him in Cincinnati.
