Were the Cubs not in the midst of their first playoff series in seven years, this would probably be getting a whole lot more attention …
When a story has already been as strange as that of Cuban outfield prospect Eddy Julio Martinez, and when it’s already once been reported that he agreed to a deal, only to have that deal maybe-probably-possibly fall apart, you just don’t take anything as a given until the guy is actually signed. Or, heck, until he’s on the field in a Cubs jersey.
To recap: Martinez reportedly agreed to a $2.5 million deal with the Giants last weekend. That deal then apparently fell apart. Then, Martinez reportedly agreed to a $3 million deal with the Cubs at some point his past week. It looked like a steal for the Cubs.
The latest twist comes via Giants GM Bobby Evans, speaking with Tim Kawakami on a podcast, and essentially saying this:
Bobby Evans on the Martinez talks: "That's probably going to be a great story here in the near future… (1/2) https://t.co/TTSRbrYZLT
— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) October 9, 2015
Evans on if the Giants might still land him: "I want to be careful not to be too presumptuous, but yeah, I think there's still that chance."
— Tim Kawakami (@timkawakami) October 10, 2015
If you were COMPLETELY (but thoughtfully) speculating about those cryptic words, you’d conclude one of two things: (1) the deal with the Cubs isn’t actually done; or (2) the Giants perhaps believe they already had a done deal, and may try to somehow finalize it.
Again, that’s purely speculation based on what Evans said. He suggested in the podcast that conversations with Martinez’s reps are still ongoing. Clearly, there’s a lot still going on behind the scenes.
I guess we’ll see what twist comes next. For now, the weight of reports indicates that the Cubs have a deal in place with Martinez at $3 million, but it has not been finalized for whatever reason. And, until it’s actually finalized, you should probably consider this a bit up in the air. Given that, when the deal fell through with the Giants, the report from Jesse Sanchez indicated it was because Martinez’s father wanted $3 million – which the Cubs apparently then offered – you can’t rule out the possibility that Martinez’s camp may not sign on the dotted line until they’re absolutely sure no more money is coming.
But, that said, there’s so much we don’t know right now. The best we can do is follow along.