Blue Jays favourite to land 15-year old shortstop Orelvis Martinez

The Toronto Blue Jays appear poised to dive back into the International free agent market as they reportedly have their sights set on a 15-year old shortstop from the Dominican Republic.

According to Ben Badler of Baseball America, the Blue Jays are the favourites to land top prospect Orelvis Martinez. The 15-year old is expected to sign one of the most lucrative deals of the free agent class in the neighborhood of $3 million dollars.

Badler’s article on the top free agent requires a subscription, however, here is a snippet from the youngsters scouting report.

"Martinez is a strong, physical right-handed hitter who stands out for his offensive upside. He is 6-foot-1. 190 pounds with a compact swing, good bat speed and power, and with how much more size he projects to add down the road, it’s likely he moves to third base."

The Blue Jays are no stranger to reeling in the big fish from the International free agent market having previously signed Vladimir Guerrero Jr, Richard Urena and closer, Roberto Osuna. Most recently the Jays nabbed top pitching prospect Eric Pardinho from Brazil.  The 16-year old hurler signed for $1.4 million and had previous World Baseball Classic experience as a 15-year old.

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Last offseason the Jays also inked Cuban infielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to a seven-year $22 million dollar pact. Gurriel waited until after his 23rd birthday sign so he would be exempt from the International spending limitations.

As you see in the below video, Martinez has quick hands through the zone with what appears to be gap power as the ball explodes off his bat with ease. Defensively Martinez possesses soft hands with a plus arm and decent range to both sides.

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With the Yankees and Rangers the odds-on favourites to land the megastar from Japan in Shohei Otani, the Blue Jays have focussed on a top International prospect of their own in Martinez. The youngster will complement the exciting new crop of young talent on the farm nicely so hopefully, the Jays can get the deal done.