Texas emerging as favorite to sign Cuban star
Rangers among bidders for 21-year-old Martinez
The Rangers appear to be on the verge of adding an international talent to their roster, as sources told MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez on Thursday that Texas has become the favorite to sign Cuban outfielder Juan Pablo Martinez.
Martinez's signing bonus is expected to be between $2.7-2.8 million, though a deal cannot be formally finalized until Martinez is eligible to sign March 6.
The Marlins and Yankees were two other clubs rumored to be competing for Martinez's services, but MLB.com has learned they have dropped out of the running.
Martinez, 21, is considered one of the top talents in Cuba thanks to a promising combination of power and speed. He earned spots on Cuba's 18-and-under team in 2014 and '15. More recently, Martinez played in Cuba's Serie Nacional during the 2016 and '17 seasons and posted a .333/.469/.498 slash line with six home runs and 24 stolen bases in 61 games.
Martinez is considered to have the talent to start at Class A Advanced or Double-A once he signs with a team. However, his first assignment would depend on the team he chooses, and if they want to ease him into professional ball stateside.
The Rangers were finalists for Japanese two-way star Shohei Ohtani and had the largest remaining bonus pool to offer him -- most of which has gone unspent since Ohtani elected to sign with the Angels. Texas further bolstered its spending power by trading Minor League right-hander Miguel Medrano to the Reds for international pool money on Wednesday. Teams may trade for up to 75 percent of their original bonus pool allocation to increase their offer for Martinez. But it's worth noting that 12 teams -- the Astros, Athletics, Braves, Cardinals, Cubs, Dodgers, Giants, Nationals, Padres, Reds, Royals and White Sox -- cannot offer more than $300,000 this signing period after exceeding their bonus pool the past two years.