Report: Blue Jays to sign Dominican shortstop Orelvis Martinez

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The Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to a $3.5-million deal with Dominican shortstop Orelvis Martinez, reports Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com.

Martinez, 16, is ranked No. 4 on MLB Pipeline’s Top International Prospects list.

Monday marks the start of the international signing period, when teen prospects from across the globe are eligible to join MLB organizations. It’s the same system that brought Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to the Blue Jays in 2015.

The Blue Jays have a signing bonus pool of $4,983,500 this year, according to Sanchez.

Martinez’s best tool is his power, which is graded at 60 on the 20-80 scouting scale. He also profiles as an above-average fielder with a plus arm.

“Some scouts look at Martinez and see [Texas] Rangers third baseman Adrian Beltre at the same age,” reads his scouting report on MLB Pipeline. “Like the young Beltre, Martinez is a hard-hitting infielder with a good projectable body and a strong arm.

“He has a chance to be an above-average hitter with above-average power. There’s still some room to grow and get stronger, which leads some evaluators to think Martinez will eventually move from shortstop to third base and still develop into an above-average defender.”

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