The Detroit Tigers announced Wednesday that Dominican prospect Pedro Martinez Jr., the son of Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Pedro Martinez, has inked with the franchise as part of the international signing period.
A source told ESPN Deportes that Martinez received a bonus of $800,000, in addition to student fees, for signing a minor league deal with the Tigers.
The announcement was made in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, during a news conference with the Martinez family and Tom Moore, director of international operations for the Tigers organization.
"This is a dream come true," Martinez said. "I wanted to be a professional player and extend the Martinez dynasty. Being part of the Martinez family is not a pressure, it's a motivation for me. Now I'm going to focus on my career and try to make a name for myself."
Unlike his father and uncles Ramon and Jesus Martinez, who were all pitchers, the 17-year-old prospect is a third baseman, and scouts say he has good defense and contact batting and can hit for power.
"Obviously, the boy has physical talent, a great work ethic and a high level of education," Moore said. "But also, he is the son of the great Pedro Martinez."
The elder Martinez said he wanted his son's move to pro ball to come on one condition: that the organization that signed him let him finish high school, which was something the Tigers accepted without question.
"The Tigers understood the benefit of my son not leaving school," he said.
The prospect just started his final year of high school in the Dominican Republic.
The plan is for Martinez to report to the Detroit baseball academy in the Dominican Republic and to have time to do his homework. He'll then focus entirely on baseball when he graduates in 2018.
The elder Martinez won two Cy Young Awards with the Boston Red Sox and one with the Montreal Expos, and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2015.
"Today, I feel very proud to be a father, and I am very happy for my son, and thank God for allowing the Martinez legacy to be spread in baseball," he said.