Catcher Zacarias Martell has long been one of the more well-liked and steady members of the Denver Brewers, adored by the local fans and very popular with his teammates, and he has also helped guide the Denver pitching staff to great success.
And yesterday it was announced that he and the team had reached agreement on a contract extension that could keep him in Brewers purple through the 1982 season. He reportedly will receive a little over 208K per year though the team does have options to buy out his contract for each of the final two seasons.
Sources close to the negotiations, who didn't wish to be named, indicated that when the team originally approached Martell and his agent they were merely looking to sign him for next season, with him having two more years of arbitration eligibility. But Martell wanted a long-term commitment from the team, reportedly asking for something in the vicinity of a 9-year deal. In the end a compromise was struck that could at least keep the 3-time All-Star backstop on the team through his age 32 season.