It’s not a busy time of the year for MLB transactions.
But on Friday, the Washington Nationals reached a reported agreement with a former top-100 prospect of the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Washington Post’s Andrew Golden reported the news: The Nationals and Orelvis Martinez are in agreement on a minor-league deal for next year.
Martinez’s dark mark on his resume is an 80-game suspension for performance-enhancing drugs that he served in 2024.
The Blue Jays released Martinez on Sept. 15.
Martinez, 23, spent this season at Triple-A Buffalo. In 99 games for the Bison, he batted just .176 with 17 doubles and 13 home runs.
In his minor league career, Martinez is a .232 hitter with 123 home runs.
Martinez can play all over the infield.
This season, Martinez played in one big league game. He went 1-for-3 at the plate.
It’s a bit surprising to see the Blue Jays give up on Martinez, but his struggles following his suspension must’ve been enough for Toronto to want to move in a different direction.
The Nats are still trying to push their rebuild back into contention, and so the chance to add a talented 23-year old was one that must’ve felt too good to pass up.
Martinez will likely open next season at Triple-A Rochester while the Nats determine what his role could be with their MLB club.
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