The Blue Jays announced tonight that they have been designated as infielders ORELVIS MARTINEZ Make allocations. This move allows club activation Alek Manoah From the 60-day injury list and select him to Triple-A Buffalo. Manoah previously worked on a rehabilitation mission as he returned from a UCL surgery performed in June 2024.
On November 24, Martinez won the top 100 in the 2024 season. He made his major league debut last June, but only a week later he tested positive for the banned performance-enhanced substance Clomiphene, and was suspended for 80 games. Martinez was only in one MLB game at the suspension, and hasn’t returned to the pros at the end of the 2024 season and throughout 2025.
While Toronto’s decision not to bring Martinez back to the final weeks of the 2024 campaign, at least conceivable to have something to do with his suspension, it’s hard to see him not going back to anything other than performance-based this year. Martinez struggled in Triple-A during his IS-23-year-old campaign, cutting only .176/.288/.348 in 394 sets in 99 games. He rose with a 28.4% cut and managed just 13 home runs, with a significant drop in power relative to what he showed in last season, including his 28 home runs in 129 three games between 2023 and 24.
Although Martinez looks completely lost to his plate this year, the relative youth opposite his previous highest prospect status may be enough to attract the attention of his other organizations. Although he has left shortstop for most of his recent years, he has experience in second, third and shortstops in his minor league career. An infielder who will spend next year at 24 and flashes his past potential to be a quality batsman, seems likely to be an attractive candidate to join many rebuilding clubs who have the ability to wait patiently for Martinez and give him enough time to get back to track and field and be able to make himself working hard on the big leagues.
The Blue Jays will have a week to pass Martinez through the waiver, and any club has the ability to ask for him. If he is unclaimed, Toronto can hit him directly to Triple-A for the rest of the season. If, before the offseason starts, Martinez will have a chance to elect minor league free agents and look for other opportunities in the open market if there is no requirement to give up waivers or add Jays’ 40-man roster.
And more.
