Carlos Martínez (pitcher, born 1991)

Once the MLB suspension expired, Martínez signed with the St. Louis Cardinals as an international free agent in 2010 and received a reported $1.5 million signing bonus.[2] While sorting out other lingering visa issues, he pitched in the Dominican Summer League (DSL), where he started 12 games and completed 59 innings pitched (IP). He topped all Cardinals minor leaguers with a 0.76 earned run average (ERA), a .144 batting average against (BAA) and 0.71 walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP) and ranked second with 11.9 strikeouts per nine innings pitched (K/9), third with a 5.57 strikeout-to-walk ratio (K/BB) and the fourth toughest to hit a home run against (HR/9, 0.228). He led the DSL in ERA, BAA, K/9 and WHIP (tied for first).[6]

After impressing Cardinal team officials at a minor league mini-camp in February, 2011, he bypassed some of the lower level assignments typical to rookies and was assigned to the Quad Cities River Bandits of the Class A Midwest League in 2011. He split the season between Quad Cities and the Palm Beach Cardinals, posting a combined won–loss record (W–L) of 6–5 over 18 games and 84+2⁄3 IP.[7] He also participated in the 2011 All-Star Futures Game.[8]

Returning to Palm Beach to commence the 2012 season, shoulder tendonitis began to bother him after just seven starts and the Cardinals placed him on the disabled list (DL).[9] Despite being on the DL he was advanced to Double-A ball in late May with the Springfield Cardinals of the Texas League.[9] After returning from the shoulder problems, Martínez posted a 4–3 W–L record over 71 IP. He registered 58 SO and ended the season with a 2.90 ERA.[7]

Work visa issues again became a problem prior to 2013 spring training. Unable to secure the proper documents due to lingering confusion as a result of his name change when originally signing with the Cardinals, Martínez sat out nearly all of the 2013 Cardinals major league spring training.[10]

Cleared in late March, Martínez reported to Cardinals minor league spring training more than six weeks behind schedule, in time only for the last few days of camp and requiring an extended spring in Jupiter, Florida.[11] While awaiting the visa in the Dominican Republic, Martínez built up his readiness in a throwing program.[11] After the extended spring, he was reassigned with the Springfield Cardinals. He made just three starts there before the Cardinals called him up. Martínez sported a 2.31 ERA in 11+2⁄3 innings with nine strikeouts.[12]

The Cardinals called up Martínez to the Major League club, the number-three prospect in their organization, on May 3, 2013. He made his major league debut against the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park that night. In one inning pitched, the seventh, he gave up a single, then induced a double play he started on a ground ball hit back to him, and then secured the third out with another ground ball.[13][14][15] On May 27, the Cardinals sent Martínez down to Triple-A Memphis after seven appearances on the mound and eight innings in which he posted a 4.50 ERA with nine strikeouts.[16] With the Redbirds in 2013, he made 13 starts. In 68 IP, he allowed a 2.51 ERA with 54 hits, three home runs (HR), 27 bases on balls (BB), while striking out 63.[7]

The Cardinals recalled Martínez on August 8 after stretching out his innings workload with Memphis to bring his endurance back to being sufficient to handle the rigors of starting pitching. The next night, Martínez made his first major league start against the Los Angeles Dodgers, pitching five innings and giving up four earned runs. He earned the distinction of being the first Cardinals starter in recent memory to throw over 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) and regularly threw 96–98 miles per hour (154–158 km/h).[17] On September 20, 2013, Martínez entered a game in the tenth against the Brewers in which the Cardinals led 7–6 and closed the game in a 1–2–3 inning. His inning helped make the Cardinals victorious and gave him his first major league save.[18] In the 2013 regular season with the Cardinals, Martínez posted a 5.08 ERA in 28+1⁄3 innings, striking out 24. He made one start, earned one save, winning two games while losing one.[19]

The Cardinals played him in the 2013 National League Division Series (NLDS) against the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he made three total appearances, giving up two runs in two IP. Against the Dodgers in the National League Championship Series (NLCS), he appeared in four games, giving up no runs while allowing just one hit, one walk, and striking out four in 4+2⁄3 IP. In the World Series against the Red Sox, he appeared in five games, pitched six innings, giving up five hits, three runs and one walk while striking out five. The Red Sox defeated the Cardinals 4–2 in that World Series.[19] Between the three series, he appeared in 12 games, posted a 3.55 ERA, held opponents to a .167 BAA, and allowed three walks with 11 SO in 12+2⁄3 IP.[20]

With the fifth starting spot in the rotation open in spring training for the 2014 campaign, Martínez started the season in the bullpen of the Major League Cardinals.[21] Injury struck the rotation in June, and he made his first two starts of the year as spot starts. He made his third major league start and won his first on June 22, pitching five innings and yielding three earned runs in a 5–3 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.[22] In a July 3 start against the San Francisco Giants, he reached a breakthrough as a starter. In five innings, he allowed just one run on five hits, one walk and struck out six. At the plate, he collected a two-run batted in double as the Cardinals won 7–2, and Martínez collected his second win of the season.[23][24] He finished the 2014 regular season with a 4.03 ERA and 2–4 W–L in 57 games including seven starts.[25] In December, Martínez changed his uniform number from 44 to 18 to commemorate his friend and teammate, Oscar Taveras, who had died in a car accident two weeks after the 2014 NLCS.[26]

For the first time in his career in 2015, Martínez made the Cardinals starting rotation, earning the fifth starter spot out of spring training.[25] In his first four starts of the season, his ERA was 1.89.[27] However, in consecutive starts against the Chicago Cubs on May 4[28] and the Pirates on May 9, he allowed 14 runs on 16 hits and 11 walks in two starts covering nine innings. His ERA jumped to 4.73 after those two starts.[27]

In the May 31 contest against the Dodgers, the Cardinals paid an official tribute to Taveras, who had debuted in the major leagues exactly one year earlier. The starting pitcher for the Cardinals, Martínez picked up the win, struck out eight, and extended his scoreless inning streak to 20+1⁄3 innings in a 3–1 outcome.[29] It was the longest scoreless-inning streak in the National League (NL) for a starting pitcher through that point in the season.[30] Martínez' next start, also against the Dodgers, came on June 5. Over seven innings, he gave up just one run on three hits and struck out 11, a new career high, in a 2–1 victory. The scoreless inning streak stopped at 21+2⁄3, also a career-high.[31]

Nominated as a contender for the All-Star Final Vote on July 6,[32] Martínez won the fan vote four days later, securing his first MLB All-Star selection for the game at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati. Through that point in the season, he completed 107+1⁄3 innings and notched a 10–3 record with a 2.52 ERA.[33] On July 25 against the Atlanta Braves, he pitched his 11th consecutive quality start, tying him with Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers for longest current streak, and the longest for the Cardinals since Chris Carpenter in 2010.[34]

The quality start streak ended on July 30 in a contest of angry exchanges with the Colorado Rockies. Martínez allowed five runs in five innings and hit DJ LeMahieu with a pitch in the fifth inning. When the inning ended, Martínez flashed an obscene gesture on full public display toward the visitors' dugout with Rockies players and personnel. Corresponding aggressive verbal exchanges ensued, including those between Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina and Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado; no brawls started. The umpires issued warnings but no ejections followed. The Cardinals eventually won in the bottom of the ninth inning, 9–8.[35][36]

Martinez' season ended early in a start against the Milwaukee Brewers on September 25 in which he threw only seven pitches. He also missed the postseason as the Cardinals had already clinched a playoff berth. The injury was a shoulder strain, but surgery was deemed unnecessary and he would recover in time for the next season.[37] His first season in the starting rotation included 14–7 record, a 3.01 ERA and 179+2⁄3 IP.[38] He finished in the top ten in the NL in ERA, won-lost percentage, SO/9, wins, home runs per nine innings allowed, and wild pitches.[19] His 9.2 SO/9 was the third-highest single-season average in franchise history.[39]

Martinez was granted permission to leave the team April 30, 2016, to resolve a civil suit filed against him in Miami, Florida. The Cardinals conducted an investigation regarding the allegations in the case, which suspected to be domestic violence. MLB did not contact the Cardinals at the time, but had recently updated their personal conduct policy, especially if any player had committed such an offensive of domestic violence.[40]

Martinez started 31 games in the 2016 season, ending with a 16–9 record, a 3.04 ERA, and 195.1 innings pitched.[41]

On February 2, 2017, it was announced that Martínez had signed a five-year extension with the St. Louis Cardinals worth 51 million dollars.[42] On April 2, 2017, Martinez pitched his first Opening Night start of his career, playing the defending World Series champion Chicago Cubs at Busch Stadium. He struck out 10 and allowed no walks and six hits over 7+1⁄3 innings. He received a no-decision as Randal Grichuk hit a walk-off bases-loaded single in the bottom of the ninth.[43] At Yankee Stadium on April 15, Martínez struck out 11 batters, and walked eight, becoming the first to record both those marks in the same game since Randy Johnson in 1993. Martínez completed 5+1⁄3 innings in a 3−2 loss to New York.[44] On June 10, Martinez pitched both his first career complete game and shutout while allowing four hits as the Cardinals defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 7–0.[45]

For the second time in his career, Martínez became an All-Star selection, as resulted in a vote by fellow players. Through that point in the season, Martínez' 2.88 ERA ranked seventh in the NL, and his 10.2 K/9 was his career best.[46]

Martínez pitched in 32 games (all starts) in 2017, compiling a 12–11 record, 3.64 ERA, and a 1.22 WHIP. He led all MLB pitchers in errors, with four.[47]

The Cardinals selected Martínez to start 2018 Opening Day, making it his second consecutive year doing so.[48] It occurred versus the New York Mets on March 29, where he walked six and hit one batter, ending with a 9–4 defeat.[49] He hit his first career home run on May 2, which was versus the Chicago White Sox. On the mound, he allowed five hits and one earned run over 7+1⁄3 innings to drop his ERA to 1.40 through that point in the season.[50] Martinez finished the game pitching 7.1 innings as the Cardinals won a close game 3–2.[51] On May 10, Martinez was placed on the 10-day disabled list due to a right lat strain.[52] On July 21, Martinez was again placed on the 10-day disabled list due to a right oblique strain.[53] He was activated on August 21 and moved to the bullpen.[54] He finished 2018 with an 8–6 record and a 3.11 ERA in 33 games (18 starts) with five saves.[55]

Martínez began the 2019 season on the 10-day injured list due to a strained rotator cuff.[56] When he returned, he returned as a reliever, eventually taking over closing duties. Over 48 relief appearances during the regular season, he earned 24 saves in 27 opportunities with a 3.17 ERA, striking out 53 over 48+1⁄3 innings.

After the 2020 season, Martínez played for Águilas Cibaeñas of the Dominican Professional Baseball League (LIDOM). He has also played for Dominican Republic in the 2021 Caribbean Series.

During the 2020 season, a year that was shortened due to an ongoing COVID-19 crisis, Martinez had an 0–3 record and a 9.90 ERA in 5 starts.

On June 2, 2021, Martínez had one of the worst outings in his professional career as he allowed 10 runs against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the first inning and was taken out of the game after recording just two outs.[57] On July 9, he was placed on the 60-day injured list with a torn thumb ligament.[58] On July 19, Martínez underwent surgery to repair the ligament tear in his right thumb and missed the remainder of the season.[59]

After the season, the Cardinals declined Martínez's option for the 2022 season, making him a free agent for the first time in his career.[60]

Prior to the 2022 season, Martínez signed a minor-league contract with the San Francisco Giants on March 19. He was released on April 28.[61] He then signed a minor-league contract with the Boston Red Sox on May 7.[62][63] In his Worcester debut on May 8, starting against the Toledo Mud Hens, he lasted 2⁄3 of an inning while giving up five runs on four hits and two walks.[64] He was released on May 18.[65]

On May 27, 2022, Martínez was suspended by Major League Baseball for 80 games after testing positive for ibutamoren.[66]

On September 1, 2022, Martínez was suspended again by MLB for 85 games after violating the Major League Baseball Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy, retroactive to June 19. Per the terms of the policy, Martínez will participate in a confidential evaluation and treatment program supervised by the Joint Policy Board.[67]

On February 14, 2023, Martínez signed with the Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League.[68] In 5 starts, Martínez posted a 1–0 record with a 7.15 ERA and 17 strikeouts over 22.1 innings. He was released on May 19.[69]

On June 24, 2023, Martínez signed with the Acereros de Monclova.[70] In 3 starts, he posted a 1–0 record with a 6.97 ERA and 10.1 innings pitched. Martínez was waived on July 10, 2023.[71]