Toronto Blue Jays prospect Orelvis Martinez is forcing the team to make a tough decision
Photo credit: Minor League Baseball
Toronto Blue Jays prospect Orelvis Martinez has been turning head at Spring Training so far and it looks like he is forcing management to make a tough move.
During an interview last week, manager John Schneider stated that Martinez would need to seriously impress the staff if he planned on making the team out of camp especially in terms of defense.
Blue Jays prospect Orelvis Martinez forcing the team to make a tough decision
Martinez proved that he is too good for the minors last season putting up 17 homeruns in 74 games which eventually earned him a call to the big leagues but that came to an end quickly when he received an 80 game suspension for PEDs.
Martinez slashed .267/.346/.523 with 17 home runs in 74 games for triple-A Buffalo last year, as his 16.53 AB/HR rate would have ranked sixth in the International League had he accrued enough at-bats to qualify. After getting the call to Toronto, he played just one game in the big leagues before getting suspended for 80 games after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug. -Georges
According to reports, Martinez has a serious chance of being the Blue Jays designated hitter to start the season and might even get a chance in the outfield depending on where the team ends up placing Anthony Santander.
Few question the fact that the five foot eleven, 200-pounder can hit, making it a possibility that he wins the Blue Jays' DH job this spring. Depending on how things shake out in the outfield, it wouldn't be surprising to see Anthony Santander earn reps as the designated hitter this season as well. This of course depends on the health of Dalton Varsho, as well as the possible emergence of Joey Loperfido into a major league starter. -Georges
While John Schneider has made it clear that they need to see Martinez' defense improve, even if it is not up to their liking, keeping him around for his offense might not be such a bad move, especially when considering how much they struggle hitting the ball last season.
For a team that swung and missed at some big names this winter, banking on the potential of players like Martinez may be the best path toward fielding a potent offense in 2025. -Georges
Home run, Orelvis Martinez, 390 feet to the opposite field.
This is a big spring for Martinez. That's a damn fine start. #BlueJays
This is a big spring for Martinez. That's a damn fine start. #BlueJays
If Martinez keeps hitting well at Spring Training he will force the team to keep him and likely move someone else down to the minors.
Source: Blue Jays Nation
Blue Jays: Looking at whether Orelvis Martinez should start the season as the DH
Blue Jays: Looking at whether Orelvis Martinez should start the season as the DH
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