Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports that Russell Martin will reject his qualifying offer. This news really isn’t a surprise, since pretty much everyone knew Martin was never going to accept the deal. He’s set to receive a huge payday this off-season, getting four or five years, and likely around the same average annual value as the $15.3 M that the qualifying offer would have paid him.
Martin met with the Cubs this week. He is also being pursued by the Dodgers, Blue Jays, and the Pirates are trying to bring him back. Heyman also adds the Seattle Mariners to the list of potential suitors.
The Pirates will get a first round compensation pick in the 2015 draft if Martin signs elsewhere, which seems likely due to the fact that the Dodgers and Cubs both have the ability to spend much more than what the Pirates could spend.
