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Julio Pablo Martinez

Rangers Designate Bubba Thompson For Assignment

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The Rangers announced they’ve designated outfielder Bubba Thompson for assignment. The move opens room on the 40-man for J.P. Martínez, who was officially selected onto the big league roster. Travis Jankowski was placed on the paternity list to clear an active roster spot for Martínez.

A former first-round pick, Thompson reached the majors last August after five minor league campaigns. An elite runner, Thompson had stolen 49 bases and was caught just thrice for Triple-A Round Rock last season. He hit .265 and stole 18 more bags in 55 big league contests down the stretch, though that came with a modest .302 on-base percentage and well below-average .312 slugging mark.

Last year’s decent batting average was built on a massive .389 average on balls in play, as Thompson struck out at an alarming 30.9% clip. As one of the league’s fastest players, he’s likely to run a BABIP higher than the .297 league average. Yet hitting nearly .400 on balls in play consistently is a tall task for anyone.

Likely anticipating some regression in his offensive production, Texas signed Robbie Grossman to take primary left field duties. Jankowski has been very good in a fourth outfield role, leaving Thompson to tally only 60 MLB plate appearances over 37 games. He struggled to a .170/.237/.283 line in that scattershot playing time. While he improved his strikeout and walk numbers marginally, Thompson only made contact on 61.5% of his swings — a rate topped by every qualified hitter around the league.

Thompson’s production in Triple-A has also taken a step back. Despite carrying solid walk and strikeout marks at the top minor league level, he’s hitting .260/.362/.378 through 149 plate appearances at Round Rock. He’s gone 16-18 on stolen bases but has only two homers in 32 games after connecting on 13 longballs in 80 Triple-A contests a season ago.

While the 25-year-old Thompson is clearly still a work in progress offensively, he has some standout skills that could intrigue another club. There are few more effective baserunners. Thompson has stolen 22 bases in 27 attempts at the MLB level and has been successful at a huge 83.2% clip in his minor league career. That standout speed gives him the ability to play all three outfield spots, though he’s spent most of his MLB time in left field.

Texas has no choice but to put Thompson on waivers within the next week. It seems fairly likely he’ll be claimed. Another team willing to carry him on the 40-man roster could keep him in the minors for the foreseeable future. Thompson is in his first of three minor league option seasons.

Rangers Expected To Select J.P. Martínez

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The Rangers are expected to add outfielder J.P. Martínez to their 40-man roster ahead of Friday’s game, per reporter Francys Romero as well as Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Martínez isn’t currently on the club’s 40-man roster, which is full, meaning he will require a corresponding move to be added. The club has an off-day tomorrow.

Martínez, now 27, left Cuba in November of 2017 in the hopes of signing with a major league club. Despite being just 21 years old at that time, he already had five seasons of experience under his belt in the Cuban National Series, hitting .333/.470/.498 in the last of those five years. Once he was given clearance to sign, he was frequently connected to the Rangers, who officially announced his signing in April of 2018. The club had saved some international bonus pool space to make a run at Shohei Ohtani, but used some of it on Martínez when Ohtani signed with the Angels.

The Cuban outfielder was a prospect of note in his first few years in the affiliated ranks, though his stock dipped as his results in the minors were more solid than outstanding and he was generally older than those he was playing with. But he seems to have put himself back on the map with a strong showing in this year. In 67 Triple-A games, he’s hit 12 home runs and walked in 15.3% of his plate appearances. Even in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, his .312/.427/.565 batting line amounts to a 139 wRC+, or 39% above average. He’s also stolen 33 bases in in 37 attempts at that level.

It’s unclear how the Rangers will deploy Martínez, but he’s capable of playing any of the three outfield slots. The recent injury of Josh Jung likely means Ezequiel Durán will be spending more time there and less in the outfield. That leaves the club with Adolis García, Leody Taveras, Travis Jankowski and Robbie Grossman in their outfield mix.

García is having an outstanding season but the other three have less of a firm grip on playing time. Taveras had a strong first half but has hit just .231/.252/.368 since the start of July. Jankowski is having a nice season overall but has a long track record of subpar offense and has slumped to a line of .045/.250/.091 in his last 28 plate appearances. Grossman’s hitting .228/.312/.386 for the season.

If Martínez can carry any of his strong results up to the majors with him, it should provide a boost to the Rangers as they look to fend off the Astros and hold onto their lead in the American League West.

Rangers Sign Julio Pablo Martinez

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APRIL 19: Texas has formally announced the signing. 

MARCH 6: The Rangers have agreed to terms with Cuban outfielder Julio Pablo Martinez, reports Ben Badler of Baseball America. The touted 21-year-old prospect, who became eligible to sign today, will receive a $2.8MM signing bonus, which will fully deplete the remainder of Texas’ 2017-18 international bonus pool.

Due to his age and lack of professional experience, Martinez was not eligible to sign as a professional. He’ll receive a minor league contract in addition to that $2.8MM bonus and join the Rangers as one of the game’s more touted prospects. Badler notes that Martinez will slot in at No. 60 overall on BA’s updated Top 100 prospect list. That places him two spots behind countryman Luis Robert, who in the final season of the 2012-16 collective bargaining agreement signed with the White Sox for a reported $26MM bonus that came with a 100 percent luxury tax under the previous international signing rules.

The discrepancy between the cost of acquisition for two somewhat comparable prospects is fairly staggering and also underscores the manner in which the latest CBA has restricted clubs from spending on amateur talent. Under the previous agreement, teams could make the tactical decision to exceed their league-allotted bonus pools by more than 15 percent in exchange for a two-year ban from signing international amateurs for anything more than $300K apiece. Many teams, including the Cubs, Rangers, Rays, Red Sox, Yankees, Reds, Dodgers and Padres, among others, were willing to make that trade-off in exchange for signing splurges that completely shattered their pools but also provided an immediate talent infusion to their respective prospect pipelines.

Now, the league and union have agreed to a hard cap on international amateurs, and no club is allotted more than $5.75MM at the onset of a given international signing period. While teams can trade for up to an additional 75 percent of their initial pool allotment, the strategy of aggressive spending on the international front is not one that teams can employ anymore — at least not with the previously acceptable levels of vigor. The now-finite level of resources teams can utilize on the international market only makes those funds more coveted — particularly among rebuilding/retooling clubs.

Digression aside, the Rangers will add an athletic young center fielder to their ranks when the deal is finalized. Martinez will become the team’s third-ranked prospect, Badler notes, trailing only Willie Calhoun and Leody Taveras. The left-handed-hitting, left-handed-throwing Martinez hit .333/.469/.498 with six homers, 11 doubles, two triples and 24 steals (in 29 attempts) during his most recent professional effort in Cuba. More impressively, he drew 52 walks that season against just 30 strikeouts in 264 plate appearances. He also appeared in 57 games and tallied 255 plate appearances in the 2017 Can-Am Association — the same independent league that was previously home to big leaguers Chris Colabello, Andrew Albers, Craig Breslow, Steve Delabar and Tim Adleman, among others — where he hit .297/.345/.449 with seven homers and 20 steals.

Badler notes in today’s piece that Martinez’s present level of development should allow him to head to Class-A Advanced or Double-A. He’s also expanded on the talented young outfielder in a pair of prior columns — both of which those looking to learn more about Martinez will want to check out.

Rangers Meeting With Julio Pablo Martinez

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Now that Cuban outfielder Julio Pablo Martinez is officially able to sign, he’s meeting with the Rangers today to hammer out a deal, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. It is believed that the sides will agree to a $2.8MM bonus.

Texas has been seen as the favorite to land Martinez for the past several weeks. Indeed, the Rangers have struck two trades — see here and here — to max out their possible international bonus pool assets. Having already spent a good bit of money over the past year or so, the Rangers have $2.8MM left and are expected to spend it all on Martinez.

While the Yankees and Marlins were also reportedly in pursuit of Martinez, all indications at this point are that he’s zeroed in on the Rangers. For Texas, the move will bring a high-quality prospect into the organization who may not be far from seeing the majors. Badler says that Martinez will jump right into BA’s top 100 prospects list. The 21-year-old is a left-handed hitter who is said to possess good power and speed.

Rangers Seen As Favorites To Land Julio Pablo Martinez

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The Rangers are now considered the favorite in the pursuit of Cuban prospect Julio Pablo Martinez, according to MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez (via Twitter). Martinez is not technically eligible to put pen to paper until March 6th, but it seems the Texas organization is working to line up a deal once he can formally sign.

Martinez, 21, will likely command a $2.7MM to $2.8MM bonus, according to the report. That’s a far sight shy of what similarly situated young players have earned in recent years, though that’s a reflection of newly restrictive signing rules (which place a hard cap on total bonus spending) rather than Martinez’s promise as a player.

The Rangers did not seem to have quite that much pool availability when last we checked, though it is always difficult to keep close tabs on international expenditures. Evidently, the Texas organization had more to work with than we realized, and also acquired an additional $350K just days ago, immediately sparking indications that the move was designed to facilitate the acquisition of Martinez.

Given that we’re still weeks away from Martinez even being able to sign, it seems reasonable to expect that we’ll have to wait to learn of his destination with any real certainty. But from the tenor of tonight’s report and the recent swap, all signs are that Texas is indeed set to land Martinez. That said, the Yankees and Marlins have also been closely tied to the talented youngster (by Ben Badler of Baseball America). He may be a year or two away from the majors, but that’s closer than most amateurs. And Martinez is said to possess an enticing blend of speed and power.

Julio Pablo Martinez Receives Clearance To Sign With MLB Organizations

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Cuban outfielder Julio Pablo Martinez has been declared a free agent by Major League Baseball and will be free to sign with a Major League organization beginning on March 6, reports Ben Badler of Baseball America. The 21-year-old Martinez is subject to international bonus pools due to his age and lack of professional experience in the Cuban National Series, so he’ll now have to decide whether to sign with a team during the current signing period (when many teams have already spent the bulk or entirety of their league-allotted budget) or after the July 2 kick off the 2018-19 period.

According to Badler, the Rangers, Yankees and Marlins are the current favorites for Martinez, who is one of the more touted prospects to come out of Cuba in recent seasons. If Martinez opts to sign with the Yankees or Marlins, per Badler, he’d likely be waiting until this coming summer to sign so that both teams could tap into their 2018-19 pools. The Yankees added a pair of Venezuelan prospects back in late December and also picked up former Braves farmhand Angel Rojas for $350K, thus accounting for some of what was left over from a failed run at Shohei Ohtani.

Texas had  $3.535MM in pool allotments to spend on Ohtani before he opted to sign with the division-rival Angels. They’ve since reallocated some of their pool by signing shortstops Yenci Pena (for $675K) and Keithron Moss (for $800K) as well as outfielder D’Vaughn Knowles (for $500K). That’d still leave as much as $1.56MM to offer Martinez to begin his pro career in the current signing period (though it’s possible the pool is a bit lesser depending on whether Texas has made some smaller-scale signings that were not widely reported).

Certainly, other clubs could enter the mix for Martinez — especially if he is keen on waiting until July to sign a contract. Far more teams would be able to weigh a pursuit of the 21-year-old at that time, and given the appeal touted by Badler in his scouting reports on Martinez, several teams would figure to have interest. Badler lists Martinez at 5’10” and 180 pounds, praising a blend of power and speed, and he’s expanded on the talented young outfielder in a pair of prior columns — both of which those looking to learn more about Martinez will want to check out.

The left-handed-hitting, left-handed-throwing Martinez hit .333/.469/.498 with six homers, 11 doubles, two triples and 24 steals (in 29 attempts) during his most recent professional effort in Cuba. More impressively, he drew 52 walks that season against just 30 strikeouts in 264 plate appearances.

He also appeared in 57 games and tallied 255 plate appearances in the 2017 Can-Am Association — the same independent league that was previously home to big leaguers Chris Colabello, Andrew Albers, Craig Breslow, Steve Delabar and Tim Adleman, among others — where he hit .297/.345/.449 with seven homers and 20 steals. In today’s piece, Badler notes that Martinez is likely of an appropriate skill level to begin his path to the Majors in Class-A Advanced or in Double-A.

Latest On Julio Pablo Martinez

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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.

Julio Pablo Martinez Leaves Cuba In Search Of MLB Deal

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10:09pm: Martinez has actually already established residency in Haiti and petitioned the league for free agency, tweets MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez. Certainly, that would accelerate his timeline to striking a deal with a big league club, though there could still be months until that can realistically happen. In the meantime, Martinez’s camp is set to host a showcase for MLB clubs in the month of December.

12:31pm: Cuban outfielder Julio Pablo Martinez has become the latest player to leave his home island in search of an opportunity in the majors, according to Ben Badler of Baseball America. That said, it could still be some time before he has that chance.

First of all, Martinez is still just 21 years of age. Badler notes that he’s prepared for an assignment at the High-A or Double-A level, so he’s not too far from the majors, but obviously doesn’t appear to be a player that teams would see as likely to contribute in the immediate future.

Beyond that, there are still the usual hoops to jump through. Martinez will need to establish third-country residency and obtain clearance. Then, he’ll have to navigate the sometimes-choppy waters of international free agency. Since he’s subject to MLB’s international bonus restrictions, his earning power is limited. To maximize it, Badler notes, Martinez could be forced to wait until the next July 2nd period, when more organizations will be able to commit more money than is presently possible.

Martinez certainly seems to be a player worth keeping an eye on. Badler cites his power and speed combination. At least in Serie Nacional, Martinez also carried intriguing plate discipline marks. In his most recent season there, he posted a .333/.469/.498 batting line, going down on strikes thirty times while drawing a remarkable 52 walks in 264 plate appearances and posting six long balls and 24 steals. Martinez also played in the Canadian-American Association this year, where he slashed .297/.345/.449 and carried a more pedestrian 56:17 K/BB ratio over 255 plate appearances.

Though the flow of Cuban talent isn’t what it once was, and won’t command the same investments because of MLB rule changes, it remains an important factor on the market. The more advanced Yulieski Gurriel played a big role this year for the Astros, for example. His brother, Lourdes Gurriel, and well-regarded prospect Luis Robert were among those to score big contracts before the rules changed. As Badler notes, highly-touted youngsters such as Victor Mesa remain in Cuba.

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