The controversy is now over. According to the latest rumors, the Chicago Cubs have been granted the rights to Cuban outfielder Eddy Julio Martinez after the 20-year-old ditched the San Francisco Giants' $2.5 million offer.
On Monday Matt Eddy of Baseball America reported that Martinez officially signed his $3 million deal with the Cubs, indicating the MLB ruled in Chicago's favor over who would acquire the international prospect.
Jesse Sanchez of MLB.com confirmed the news as well.
— Jesse Sanchez (@JesseSanchezMLB) October 19, 2015
The Giants believed their initial deal with Martinez was binding based on a series of texts and emails. Due to the squabble, the MLB got involved last week to resolve the situation and it appears as if they have sided with the Cubs, although no official announcement has been made.
"San Francisco is disappointed by MLB's decision," writes Jon Heyman of CBS Sports. "The Giants thought they had a deal for Martinez for $2.5 million, but for some reason it was ruled invalid. While the Giants may still discuss a possible recourse, ultimately there probably isn't one."
Sanchez provided more clarity on the issue last week:
"According to sources, Martinez signed the term sheet for the Cubs on Oct. 8 and filed it for approval by the Commissioner's Office one day later. The Giants submitted paperwork claiming a deal with Martinez the day after they came to terms. However, representatives for Martinez claim the player did not sign a term sheet for the Giants or the sworn statement that says a Cuban player is in compliance with Section 515.05 of Cuban Assets Control Regulations in order to sign with a Major League team."
Martinez was found to have multiple representatives, which is the reason for this whole debacle. He was initially expected to receive a signing bonus between $8 million-$10 million, but that number drastically decreased and likely led to his representation scouring the market for every last dollar.
Stay tuned for an official announcement on Martinez signing with the Cubs.
