Earlier today, ESPN Deportes' Ignacio Serrano reported from Venezuela that the Detroit Tigers and Victor Martinez were close to a 4 year, $50 million deal.
Ken Rosenthal would later confirm the report. The Red Sox weren't comfortable in giving that kind of years to the switch-hitting catcher as they offered him a 2 year contract during the season.
The Red Sox will get the 19th Pick of the 2011 Draft (a really deep one) and a Supplemental rounder as long as the Tigers don’t sign Lee, Jeter, Rivera, Werth or Soriano before the arbitration deadline. The 19th pick will be the 2nd highest Pick of the Epstein Era.
Good luck to V-Mart: A classy player.