What if Nick Martinez accepts the Qualifying Offer from the Cincinnati Reds?

The Cincinnati Reds sent out a procedural olive branch to pitcher Nick Martinez earlier this week in the form of a roughly $21 million Qualifying Offer (QO). That’s on the heels of Martinez’s excellent work during the 2024 season (3.10 ERA, 142 ERA+, 1.03 WHIP in a career high 142.1 IP) as well as him opting out of what would have been a $12 million contract for 2025 to stay with the Reds.

He is, quite simply, one of the best free agent pitchers on the market this winter, and this is what the best free agent pitchers normally get - a QO, which gives the team that issued the offer a chance to recoup some draft pick compensation should their prized former player sign elsewhere. Thing is, any…