The meeting, which was scheduled before Martinez's side trip to Steinbrenner's offseason headquarters in Tampa, was considered crucial because both sides were eager to reach an agreement and move on to other concerns.
At the very least, Martinez almost certainly needed to sense some willingness by the Sox to improve their initial offer if he were to maintain faith in the negotiations. And the Sox needed to determine whether they could afford to reasonably satisfy Martinez's expectations, particularly if he believed his meeting with Steinbrenner improved his bargaining position.
Since Martinez was not considered likely to welcome shuttling much more often between his winter home in the Dominican Republic and the United States for the talks, he and the Sox understood the importance of avoiding reaching an impasse. Both sides agreed to keep details of the negotiations private.
The starting point for the new round of talks was a preliminary offer the Sox presented to Martinez's agent, Fernando Cuza, shortly after the World Series: a two-year, $25.5 million proposal with a $13 million option for 2007 and $2 million in potential performance bonuses. The proposal, which calls for Martinez to earn $12.5 million next year and $13 million in 2006, was nearly identical to the deal Curt Schilling signed last year to waive his no-trade clause with the Diamondbacks and accept a trade to Boston.
The only difference between the proposals was that Schilling triggered his $13 million option and picked up his $2 million bonus by helping the Sox win a World Series. Since Major League Baseball barred such incentive clauses after mistakenly approving Schilling's, the Sox offered Martinez a deal in which he could vest the 2007 option and max out on the bonus money based on the number of innings he pitches and how he finishes in the Cy Young balloting.
Martinez and Cuza were expected to waste little time after the Sox explained the rationale for their two-year offer before they presented the reasons why they believe the three-time Cy Young Award winner deserves a contract that guarantees at least three years of security.
