Cleveland Indians’ Non-Roster Invitees: Michael Martinez

Cleveland Indians’ Non-Roster Invitee Profiles and Predictions: Michael Martinez

Michael Martinez is one of the most familiar faces on the Cleveland Indians’ Spring Training non-roster invitee list. Martinez is a 33-year-old veteran, signed by the Washington Nationals over 10 years ago in 2005. Since then, he’s played for the Phillies, Pirates and Indians, making his major league debut in 2011.

Martinez is a career fringe-player, but he earned himself another look in Cleveland during his brief September call-up. In 32 plate appearances over 16 games, Martinez hit .267/.290/.333 and showed some solid defense in the outfield. While those numbers aren’t astounding, they were enough to convince the Indians to bring him back as a non-roster invitee in 2016.

Last season, Martinez batted .289/.344/.424 in 102 games for the Columbus Clippers. He hit five home runs and swiped 11 bases, higher totals than in any of his past seasons, although he also played more games that he ever had before. Even still, it was a solid season for the switch-hitter, as he helped the Clippers reach the Triple-A Championship.

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How He Could Help:

Martinez is a true utility man. He can play shortstop, second and even a bit of third, as well as the outfield. In addition to being a versatile defender, he hits from both sides of the plate, which would give a little variety to the lineup. Unfortunately for Martinez, he doesn’t do any of these things particularly well. In his limited major league chances, he’s struggled to get hits, and he’s not a particular threat in any one area. If he could steal more bases or hit for more power, or even just play with a bit more consistency, he could be a threat to Jose Ramirez’s grasp on the utility role.

Chances of Making the Club:

Martinez has virtually no chance of making the major league roster out of Spring Training, barring a catastrophic amount of injuries. Even a hot performance at camp would not stand up against so many seasons of average to below-average play, so it would take an extraordinary series of events to convince the team to believe in him. Jose Ramirez is the player most likely to win the utility spot. Even if Ramirez plays poorly, it seems likely that the Indians would at least give him a shot on the major league roster before seeking out more options.

Prediction for Next Season:

Martinez will likely wind up back at Triple-A Columbus, where he will again be a solid player in the Indians’ minor league system. The problem for Martinez is that he’s the quintessential Four-A player, and it’s hard to imagine him turning that around at this point in his career. The Indians will need to see a lot from him to make him anything other than a depth signing, meant for emergencies or providing veteran leadership in the Columbus clubhouse.

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There’s only one month left until exhibition games begin. Which player are you most looking forward to seeing in Spring Training?