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AP Photo/David Zalubowski
Carlos Martinez will get a chance at a fresh start in his career after signing a minor-league contract with the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
Martinez confirmed he was headed to the Bay in an Instagram post:
Derrick S. Goold @dgoold
Carlos Martinez says goodbye to the <a href=”https://twitter.com/hashtag/stlcards?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>#stlcards</a> and hello to San Francisco. Righthander sought a chance to prove himself, prove his health after several seasons of seesaw from starter to reliever … <a href=”https://t.co/We84yawsYM”>pic.twitter.com/We84yawsYM</a>
The right-hander had spent his entire nine-year career with the St. Louis Cardinals, but the team declined his $17 million option for 2022, making him a free agent.
Martinez underwent surgery to repair a torn ligament in his thumb in July, which ultimately ended his 2021 season after just 16 starts. He also dealt with an ankle issue earlier in the year after an oblique injury kept him to just five starts during the shortened 2020 campaign.
The injuries have seemingly derailed what had been a promising career.
Martinez produced a 3.22 ERA in four seasons as a starter from 2015-18, earning two All-Star selections in this stretch while striking out 8.9 batters per nine innings. He also thrived after moving to the bullpen in 2019, tallying a 3.17 ERA in 48 appearances.
The 30-year-old hasn’t been quite as sharp in the past two seasons, producing a 9.90 ERA during his limited chances in 2020 before struggling with a 6.23 ERA in 2021. He allowed at least five earned runs in six of his starts last season.
With just 6.2 strikeouts per nine innings—a career-low—Martinez had a difficult time getting out batters.
A change in location could be what the veteran needs to get back on track as an elite pitcher.
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