Nick Martinez agrees to contract to remain with Padres

Five days after opting out of his contract and becoming a free agent, Nick Martinez agreed to a three-year, $26 million contract that could be worth as much as $42 million.

“I love the city,” Martinez said Wednesday morning. “The fans were incredible. The support, the love. I feel like they have the same desire to win as the team does. Obviously, you talk about the clubhouse, how great the group of guys are, it was really a no-brainer.”

Robert Suarez agreed last week to a five-year, $46 million deal with the Padres after opting out of hRis deal three days earlier.

Martinez, 32, signed a four-year, $26 million deal in March that gave him the ability to opt out after each of the first three seasons.

The new deal guarantees him $10 million in 2023, $8 million in ‘24 and $8 million in ’25. He can opt out after ’23, and the deal contains performance bonuses. Should he perform well as a starter, thus increasing his value, the team has $16 million options for both ’24 and ’25.