Minnesota Twins Void Contract of Jelfry Marte
By David Hill
Jelfry Marte had been one of the most prized international free agents heading into this signing period before he signed with the Minnesota Twins. In a surprising move, the Twins have voided his contract.
Heading into the 2017-18 international signing period, Jelfry Marte was one of the more coveted prospects. Baseball America had ranked him 13th in their international free agent prospect list, citing his defense at short and his speed as his greatest assets. When he signed with the Minnesota Twins for a $3 Million signing bonus, it was thought that the Twins had gotten a potential building block for the future.
Instead, in surprising news, the Twins voided Marte’s contract on Wednesday. According to Ben Badler, Marte was unable to pass his physical, specifically the vision section. Meanwhile, Marte has begun setting showcasing himself for other teams, hoping to get back some portion of the bonus that he lost.
The timing of such a move is interesting. With the announcement that Shohei Otani will be posted, voiding Marte’s contract now gives the Twins over $3 Million in the international free agent market. As one of only three teams with that much cap available, they could now be considered a favorite to land the Japanese phenom.
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On the other side, the timing of the move is unfortunate for Marte. At this point, most teams have spent the majority of their cap, leaving him unlikely to receive the same offer. Although it is possible he could get a seven digit signing bonus once again, his options are severely limited in that regards.
Should these vision issues be a legitimate concern, it does make Marte a risky proposition. While his defense at short and speed were evident, there were a few questions about his ability to hit. He could potentially make do at the lower levels, but vision problems could hamper his ability to progress through the system.
This move changes the direction of both the Twins and Marte. Now, Marte will get a fraction of the bonus he had commanded, looking to re-establish himself elsewhere. For the Twins, they could end up getting a player who is considered a once in a generation talent, moving from an intriguing possibility to a potential favorite.
Voiding Jelfry Marte’s contract may be the first in a series of moves for the Minnesota Twins. These moves may well culminate in their pursuit of Shohei Otani.