The market for top Cuban free agent Julio Pablo Martinez has begun to take shape, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. Martinez has yet to receive signing clearance, but Badler notes it’s anticipated he will be officially named a free agent before the conclusion of the current July 2nd period.
If Martinez does indeed become eligible to sign before June 15th, he’ll have the open of signing either in the current or the ensuing period. That will help open up his options a bit.
Of the three teams that Badler tabs the leaders, one — the Rangers — might utilize its 2017-18 pool money to make a deal with Martinez. (As Badler explains, Texas will need to use or lose its remaining spending availability, which at last glance sat at about $3.53MM.) The others — the Yankees and Marlins — would almost certainly view Martinez as a major part of the 2018-19 signing class.
Martinez, 21, is considered one of the best young talents from his baseball-loving home nation. Badler provides all the necessary details about his profile in the above link. In brief, Martinez is a fleet-footed center fielder with some pop. Notwithstanding an eye-popping 30:52 K/BB ratio in his last 264 plate appearances in Cuba’s top league, Martinez is said to possess more palatable than great plate discipline abilities.
All said, Martinez seems to be a legitimately interesting prospect asset. Unlike many of the more youthful Latin American players that sign as bonus-limited international amateurs, he may actually not be that far off from the majors. Of course, he’ll still need to refine his skills and prove he’s worthy of a crack at the game’s highest level. Regardless, Martinez ought to represent an intriguing new addition for whatever organization signs him.
If the Mariners don’t sign him they will have traded Vieira and Banuelos for nothing at all. They were were both top 10 organization prospects.
M’s traded $1 million of pool money to the Rays last month for Misiewicz. They don’t have enough to land Martinez.
Mariners are goofy they traded O’neill for a hurt arm
Solid scouting report from.. card collector. 151 strikeouts, and a .321 on base percentage this past season. Time will tell if he proves to be what he’s been projected to be, but as if the Mariners are not potentially in trouble with their rotation, without Marco, it’d look even worse.
Marco should not warrant a top 100 prospect lmao
Exactly Jnoyola
We don’t usually sign tip top prospects!
Come on Rangers – get this guy. I don’t know jack about him, but it would make this anemic offseason somewhat intriguing.
unused IFA money should roll over…
That wouldn’t be fair to other teams. It would give them an unfair advantage to sign top prospects.
Use it or lose it.
Not to mention more unfair to the international players themselves. If teams see a player like Ohtani that they know will post in the near future, they’re going to save all they can. Anyone looking to sign during that time has limited earning power
exactly, they could not use a cent and spend it all the next year. i
Not necessarily…it could actually give the smaller market, less competitive teams an opportunity to jump in and get a more realistic player…Ohtani was never going to sign with the Braves, Pirates, Rays, etc…
smaller market teams are alotted more bonus pools. So they already have an advantage money wise in that respect. allowing a carry over would just add to it.
if they are worth it, teams will wait on them
It’s like saying player individual salaries should be capped so lesser players can make more.
try that at a real job. socialism doesn’t with anywhere
Teams have plenty of money to spend it on whatever player they want, Year after year. Smaller market teams not only have a bigger bonus pool to start but they can trade for more pool space than larger market teams.
All they have to do is save for that money for them each year and do their best to land the player they want. There’s no reason to add even more money to it.
in that case why do we have international boss bills people are willing to pay more for amateurs let them pay. same as FA. that’s a true free market
if every team has the same chance to roll it over, it is fair
It’s free agent money, not your monthy data allowance.
pirates have i think around 2.3M in pool money.. wishful thinking but gota keep going some how
Don’t the Red Sox have someone that plays in Pawtucket that they gave about 70 million dollars to a couple of years ago that fits this exact description?
Rusney Castillo
#CautionaryTale
exactly but this guy will be capped by the Bonus restrictions so it will be low-risk
Can the White Sox sign him ??
allowed to spend 300k per player for 2 years because they went over Luis Robert signing.
I’m surprised Cuba has any ball players left.
yeah, because the entire country of Cuba just stopped playing baseball…
Very uncelar article…
seems like a no-brainer for the rangers.
NY ain’t the same – it’s OT playa
i.imgur.com/IRkQQfW.jpg
The Rangers need about 4-5 top international pitching prospects.