First baseman Jose Martinez has signed a contract with the Acereros de Monclova of the Mexican League. The 33-year-old hasn't appeared in the MLB since 2020. He signed with the New York Mets prior to the 2021 season, but tore his meniscus in Spring Training and never debuted with the team. Martinez broke into the majors with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2016. He developed a reputation as a plus-hitter but a poor defender during his time in the majors. Over 432 major league games, he has a .289/.356/.447 slash line with 43 home runs, 182 RBI and 170 runs.
New York Mets utility infielder/outfielder Jose Martinez suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee on Sunday during a defensive play at first base when he ran into an umpire. Martinez is scheduled to have surgery on his knee within the week and should miss up to four months. The injury came at a terrible time for Martinez, who was coming off a poor 2020 and competing for a bench role with the Mets. Martinez can now be ignored in all fantasy formats heading into 2021.
New York Mets utility player Jose Martinez twisted his knee during a defensive play at first base on Sunday. He was hurt when he ran into the umpire. The injury comes at a terrible time for Martinez, who is coming off a poor showing in 2020 and is likely competing for a bench role with his new team. Last season, he hit just .182 with a 28% strikeout rate while splitting the season between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Chicago Cubs. Between 2017 and 2019, he was a strong offensive performer for the St. Louis Cardinals. Martinez will undergo an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of the injury.
The New York Mets signed veteran Jose Martinez to a split contract on Thursday to give them more right-handed bench depth. Martinez will make $1 million, with another $500,00 in incentives if he makes the major league roster or $225,000 in incentives if he's in the minors, according to a source. He hit .298 with 41 home runs and an .821 OPS from 2016-19 with the Cardinals, so the Mets are hoping he can bounce back with the bat after struggling with the Rays and Cubs in 2020. Martinez has a .307/.382/.534 slash line against lefties and could be a platoon partner for Brandon Nimmo in left field. The 32-year-old could be a nice late-round flier in deep mixed and NL-only leagues if he's only facing southpaws the majority of the time.
Chicago Cubs first baseman/designated hitter Jose Martinez was optioned to the clubs alternate training site prior to Fridays contest against the White Sox. Acquired at the Trade Deadline to serve as a DH option against left-handed pitching, Martinez has gone 0-for-21 with seven strikeouts since being acquired. With a -86 OPS+, its unlikely that the Cubs turn to Martinez again in 2020, zapping him of the DFS appeal that he may have had when facing southpaws.
Tampa Bay Rays first baseman/designated hitter Jose Martinez has been traded to the Cubs on Sunday in exchange for a pair of players to be named later. Martinez has slashed .239/.329/.388 this season in sporadic playing time, but its his numbers against left-handers during his career that makes him a valuable commodity with a .945 OPS. Its likely that Chicago deploys him primarily against southpaws, which caps his season-long value while making him a prime DFS target whenever hes in the starting nine.
Tampa Bay Rays first baseman/outfielder Jose Martinez is hitting third and playing DH in the team's series finale versus Yankees lefty James Paxton. It's an excellent matchup for Martinez, who's slashed .326/.399/.570 versus southpaws over his career and has recorded hits in four of his last five games. Paxton has struggled early with six earned runs in four innings, including a .550 BA against right-handed batters this season. The stars are aligning for a big afternoon for Martinez in his home park.
Jose Martinez, Yonny Chirinos Expected To Be Ready
Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said the team expects both first baseman/outfielder Jose Martinez and pitcher Yonny Chirinos to be ready to be on the Opening Day roster. Both players were out until this past weekend after testing positive for COVID-19. It remains to be seen how much either player will be able to handle right out of the gates, however. Martinez can hit for power and average, but he likely will be a part-time player in Tampa's lineup, seeing most of his at-bats against left-handed starters. Chirinos is a valuable asset to Tampa's pitching staff, as he pitched in 26 games last year (18 starts) and had a 3.85 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and 7.7 K/9 in 133 1/3 innings. He's likely to serve in a relief role out of the gates, though, likely limiting his fantasy appeal.
Tampa Bay Rays outfielder/first baseman Jose Martinez is present at Rays summer camp for the first time on Saturday. Martinez tested positive for COVID-19 and just now has been cleared to join the team with less than a week until Opening Day, so there's a chance he might not be up to speed next week. Martinez has shown an ability to hit for power and average in the big leagues, but he needs to get enough at-bats in a crowded outfield picture in Tampa for him to be relevant in mixed leagues. Getting plate appearances at designated hitter could help, too. The 32-year-old is flying under the radar and could be a steal in deep mixed leagues if he sees enough playing time. At the very least, he'll be a nice DFS bargain against left-handed pitchers.
Tampa Bay Rays first baseman/outfielder Jose Martinez was not present for the team's first summer camp workout on Friday, and it wasn't because of a travel issue. Martinez has been working out at Tropicana Field for most of the shutdown, so this brings in speculation that he may have tested positive for COVID-19. Pitchers Yonny Chirinos and Chaz Roe were also absent on Friday. Tampa's outfield is crowded, but Martinez could see enough at-bats between first base and designated hitter to make him a steal in fantasy this season. The 31-year-old hit over .300 in 2017 and 2018 with the Cardinals, but his playing time was reduced in his last year in St. Louis. Of course, he could be up in the air for the start of the season if he has the coronavirus, but he'll be an under-the-radar power and average bat if he's good to go.
