Anthony Fenech

Detroit Free Press

The biggest domino of the Detroit Tigers' off-season apparently has fallen.

The Tigers re-signed designated hitter Victor Martinez — a finalist for the American League MVP award — to a four-year contract worth $68 million, according to multiple national reports.

The deal, first reported by Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal, is pending a physical.

The Tigers declined comment Wednesday night, a team practice until a player undergoes a physical. Club officials are in Phoenix for the general managers meetings.

Martinez, 35, comes off a career season in which he hit .335 with 32 home runs (his first time over 25) and 103 RBIs (his second time over 100 in three seasons in Detroit).

He was awarded the American League's Silver Slugger by players and coaches at designated hitter, and is a finalist for the MVP award with Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout and Cleveland Indians outfielder Michael Brantley. The award will be announced at 6 p.m. Thursday; Trout, the runner-up the past two years, is widely considered the favorite, but the Tigers have won the past three MVP awards.

The four-year contract, worth $17 million per year, CBS Sports' Jon Heyman reported, will run through Martinez's age 39 season and includes some no-trade protection, according to Fox Sports' Jon Paul Morosi.

It also will put the Tigers on the hook for up to $101 million in countable salary in 2018, assuming that the club options of Ian Kinsler ($10 million) and Anibal Sanchez ($16 million) are picked up.

It also will put the Tigers on the hook for up to $101 million in committed salary for 2018.

First baseman Miguel Cabrera is due $30 million, pitcher Justin Verlander $28 million, and the team holds club options on second baseman Ian Kinsler ($10 million) and pitcher Anibal Sanchez ($16 million).

As arguably the top free agent hitter, it was a certainty that Martinez would receive a raise over his $12-million salary from this past season.

And the raise he is reportedly receiving makes him the highest-paid designated hitter in baseball history.

Singled out as the Tigers' top off-season priority by general manager Dave Dombrowski earlier in the week, Martinez's on-field performance and leadership inside the clubhouse proved too important to the team's immediate future to not risk the long-term commitment.

He posted a major league-leading .974 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in 2014, struck out 42 times in 641 plate appearances and was the meat in the Tigers' middle-of-the-order sandwich that included Miguel Cabrera and J.D. Martinez.

The five-time All-Star is a lifetime .306 hitter over 12 big-league seasons with the Tigers, Red Sox and Indians is a switch-hitter and has experience playing first base and catcher.

He joined the Tigers prior to the 2011 season, signing a four-year deal worth $50 million, in large part to chase an elusive World Series championship.

And he will continue that chase in 2015 with the Tigers.

Contact Anthony Fenech: afenech@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @anthonyfenech.