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Charlie Manuel’s long love affair with utility infielder Michael Martinez may have finally ended, as the Philadelphia Phillies have removed the 29-year old from their 40-man roster.
What that did was allow any team in the MLB a free chance at Martinez, but surprisingly, no one snatched up Martinez and his .188 career batting average.
That means the Michael Martinez Era in Philly may not be over, as he heads down to the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs, where he will assuredly get called up at some point next season when Chase Utley’s knees betray him.
To say Martinez has struggled in the major leagues is putting it politely. Martinez batted .196 in 209 at-bats as a rookie in 2011, then followed that up with an even worse sophomore campaign, hitting .174 in 115 at-bats.
Martinez was hitting an anemic .115 as late as September 5 before he went on a tear, batting .297 over his final 37 at-bats.
Martinez’s two years with the Phillies include just 15 extra-base hits in 133 games and only 23 walks. What’s most ridiculous is that a player with his speed has just three stolen bases, two triples, and zero bunt hits in his major league career.
Martinez’s value to the Phillies was apparently in the literal fact that he can play many different defensive positions – second base, shortstop, third base, and center field. But his defensive versatility in no way came close to making up for the ineptitude he displayed at the plate.
In other news, the Phillies have also let relief pitcher David Herndon walk, as he has been claimed by the Toronto Blue Jays.
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