Cincinnati Reds pitcher Nick Martinez has declined his player option and will enter the free agent market. Fellow pitcher Jakob Junis did the same.

Charlie Goldsmith, who covers the team, got the information on social media.

Martinez, 34, had a $12 million player option. He is undoubtedly turning down this offer because he is looking for a more lucrative multi-year contract.

While it’s unclear at this time if money is Martinez’s only motivation, it’s also possible that Martinez is looking for an opportunity to become a more regular starter. He made 42 appearances last season for Cincinnati, but only 16 of them were starts. He went 10-7 with a 3.10 ERA, striking out 116 batters in 142.1 innings.

Martinez is a seven-year veteran who has pitched for the Texas Rangers, San Diego Padres and Reds. He made his major league debut in 2014 with the Rangers, remaining there until 2017. He then moved to Japan for four seasons before resurfacing with the Padres in 2022.

The Reds will still have a chance to bring Martinez back, although it will require a bigger financial commitment – ​​and perhaps a bigger commitment in terms of role. Cincinnati has pitchers like Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo and Andrew Abbott as rotation options, but they have room in the rotation and have suffered injuries to Greene and Lodolo in recent years.

Cincinnati finished 77-85 last season and fired manager David Bell. They hired future Hall of Famer Terry Francona for the job.

They haven’t made the playoffs since 2020.

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