The Blue Jays' long history on the international market dates back to the 1970s and the signings of top teen prospects like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in recent years have helped solidify their status on the global scene.
:: 2018 International Signing Period :: Expect the Blue Jays to be active again.
According to industry sources, the club agreed to a $3.5 million deal with shortstop Orelvis Martinez, No. 4 on MLB.com's Top 30 International Prospects list. When completed, it will mark the highest bonus given to an international prospect in the 2017-2018 class.
The Blue Jays did not confirm the deal.
On offense, Martinez has a good rhythm and a short, compact swing with plus bat speed. He has a chance to be an above-average hitter with above-average power. He has shown solid actions on defense and good body control. He could end up at third base, which is fitting because he has been compared to Adrian Beltre at the same age.
According to the rules established by the Collective Bargaining Agreement, clubs that received a Competitive Balance Pick in Round B of the MLB Draft received a pool of $6,025,400, while clubs that received a Competitive Balance Pick in Round A of the Draft received $5,504,500. All other clubs, including the Blue Jays, received $4,983,500.
Teams are allowed to trade as much of their international pool money as they would like, but can only acquire 75 percent of a team's initial pool amount. Additionally, signing bonuses of $10,000 or less do not count toward a club's bonus pool, and foreign professional players who are at least 25 and have played in a foreign league for at least six seasons are also exempt.