Pitcher Nick Martinez (33), well-known as a colleague of Kim Ha-seong (28, San Diego Padres), will join the 2023 World Baseball Classic (WBC) US team.
ESPN, an American sports media outlet, reported on the 20th (Korean time) that Martinez joined the US national team.
For the U.S. national team, 3-time Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw (35, LA Dodgers) was unable to participate due to insurance issues. Players on the 40-man roster in the major leagues are subject to insurance registration. Insurance companies look at players’ injury histories before deciding whether to subscribe.온라인바카라
However, because Kershaw suffered from frequent injuries, he was judged to be an uninsured player. His team, the Dodgers, had a way to approve Kershaw’s participation in the WBC at the cost of his annual salary, but he did not. In the end, Kershaw had no choice but to leave the national team that he had dreamed of.
Kershaw’s hiatus left a vacant spot on the team’s pitching staff. And he chose Martinez as his replacement. Martinez made his major league debut in 2014 with the Texas Rangers. In the 2018-2021 season, after playing for Nippon Ham Fighters and Softbank Hawks of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), he signed a contract with San Diego last year and stood on the big league mound again.
Martinez’ performance was clearly outstanding. He moved back and forth from the starter to the bullpen, doing his part when the team needed him. In 47 games (10 starts), 4 wins, 4 losses, 106⅓ innings, an average ERA of 3.47, 95 strikeouts, a WHIP (on-base percentage per inning) of 1.29, helping the team to advance to the postseason.
In recognition of his achievements, Martinez signed a free agent (FA) contract with the team for 3 years and 26 million dollars (approximately 33.6 billion won) after the end of last season. And he was named to the WBC U.S. National Team nominated pitcher pool (preliminary list).
Martinez was named in the final entry, not in the reserve list, and wore the national team uniform. Attention is focusing on what kind of pitching he will show on the international stage.