The Angels have agreed to a minor league deal with shortstop Richie Martin, according to the transactions log on Martin’s MLB.com player page.
Martin, 29, was selected 20th overall by the A’s in the 2015 draft out of the University of Florida. Martin struggled at the plate early in his professional career but seemed to enjoy a breakout season at the Double-A level in 2018, when he slashed .300/.368/.439 in 118 games at the level. Despite that strong performance and his pedigree as a former first-round pick, the A’s declined to protect Martin from the Rule 5 draft that winter and he was selected by the Orioles.
Baltimore retained Martin on their roster throughout the 2019 season and he appeared in 120 games for the club as a part-time player at shortstop. In 309 trips to the plate, Martin struggled badly with a .208/.260/.322 slash line, but the performance was enough to keep a spot on the 108-loss Orioles throughout the season, earning Baltimore the unrestricted rights to Martin’s services in future seasons. Unfortunately, Martin’s development was further thrown off course by the shortened 2020 campaign. Martin suffered a fractured wrist less than two weeks before Opening Day, ending his season before it began.
When Martin returned to action in 2021, he found a new role as a depth option for the Orioles and spent the majority of his time at the Triple-A level. He received just 138 plate appearances in the majors across the 2021 and ’22 seasons and slashed a paltry .219/.263/.289 across his 50 games with the big league club. In 2022, Martin’s numbers at the Triple-A level were respectable despite his weak big league performance as he posted a 96 wRC+ in 80 games at the level while playing solid defense at second base, shortstop, and all three outfield spots. That performance wasn’t enough for Martin to retain a spot on the Orioles’ big league roster, as they designated him for assignment in early September.
Upon electing minor league free agency that offseason, however, Martin did find interest from other teams on minor league pacts. The then-28-year-old infielder first signed with the Reds last winter but was released shortly before Opening Day and caught on with the Nationals back in April. Martin ultimately did not make an appearance in the majors and slashed just .217/.329/.314 at the Triple-A level. Now that he’s signed on in Anaheim, Martin provides the Halos with middle infield depth in the upper levels of the minors entering the 2024 campaign. With Luis Rengifo and Zach Neto expected to handle everyday duties in the middle infield for the Angels next year, Martin figures to compete with the likes of Kyren Paris and Michael Stefanic for a role on the club’s bench this spring and could act as non-roster depth if he fails to break camp with the club out of Spring Training.
Now here is a name i have not heard for a while
I wish Martin luck
I always liked his skill set
Seeing his name automatically made me think of Richie Incognito and Jonathan Martin.
He Bangs….yes I know it’s not Ricky.
Me either. I was just a little kid when Living La Vida Loca came out.
I imagine that song to play in Anthony Rendon’s head on loop all season.
Well, the hospital bed does get lonely, Trumbo…
I can’t believe you would mock a man as sickly as Rendon! The poor guy has bed sores on BOTH batting hands!
LOLOL – “bed sores on both his hands” hahahahaha
He got frisky with one too many X-Ray techs so they made him sit on his hands for extended periods of time. It hasn’t been the vacation for Tony that most think.
We need to change Tony 2-Bags internal song.
Alexa Stop.
Alexa, play I’m a Loser by Beck.
The man who will protect Trout in the lineup!
I remember he had a good spring training with the Reds. I believe his grandpa played in the Negro Leagues.
As long as he doesn’t take a spot on the 40 man roster no harm no foul.
Another exciting Angel move. Every guy signed is followed by the question, Who? OR… Wasn’t he released last year? OR… Isn’t he coming off surgery?
You know he will though. This is Squid without the defense. The A’s will finally have a shot at 4th place in the AL West this season.
No the A’s won’t. The Angels don’t have a bullpen and could use a top of the rotation starter, but the have an interesting team.
I’m looking forward to watching the first six innings of every Angel game.
“not my Richie”!!!
Why not you Bob?!
God took the wrong son!
Anybody seen Richie!!
Anyone know why Richie did Bobby Lupo?
Where you from fanook? You must not be from Brooklyn cuz we don’t talk like that down here.
I’m gonna keep coming back…till somebody remembers something!
Another blockbuster deal for the Halos.
I don’t know how they expect to compete, running back a 73-win roster minus an 18-WAR player.
I get that there’s still time but you have to imagine the offers for Snell/Montgomery (pitching) and Martinez/Soler (DH) keeps getting higher. The Halos also probably have to pay more than any other suitor because who in their right mind would play for that team over really anyone else who is willing to give out big money this offseason.
Yes, players almost always go to the highest offer in free agency, well done. 😉
Hope Ritchie can unlock some of the potential that those teams including the O’s saw. An improvement from “paltry” to “meager” might be enough to earn him a super utility spot with the A’s. Behind 2024 runner up AL ROY, Darrell Hernaiz.
Best of luck to Martin continuing his Big League dream.
Just wild that our (Oakland’s) best acquisitions came from the least valuable pieces – Hernaiz for an AAA starter, Medina/Waldichuk/Sears from injured Frankie Montas.
Meanwhile Olson gets a borderline average catcher in Langeliers, Murphy gets a 4th outfielder type in Ruiz, and Chapman, Manaea, Bassitt get basically nothing.
And Gelof was an A’s draft pick. Way to botch a rebuild.
Edit: Forgot to mention Boyle for Moll as one of the steals.
What are the Angels doing? Tank year?
More like tank decade….
He’s livin Lavida Loca
They need to trade back for Fletch!
That would be a angels move to get fletcher back and give them all the money owned on his contract.
Oh good, print the playoff tickets
Arte got to be gearing up to sell the team, the angels havent been in on anything
I Believe Angels an Arte Moreno doesn’t have Bally sports West deal bankruptcy I believe the angels will be up for sale this spring training he’s a very unpopular owner can’t blame Angel fans he pushed all the wrong buttons in baseball.
Richie has solid potential. What his stat line doesn’t show is that he makes some incredible defensive plays at times, and when his bat sparks, he can win a game on his own. He’s also fast. Angels are a good fit for him, maybe he’ll get that next opportunity. Even in his Rule 5 year with Baltimore, he started putting it together with the bat in Aug-Sept and then that injury the following spring was a total derailment. He was a standout in ST both in 2022 for the O’s and last year for Cincy. Abrams’ performance is, I’m convinced, the reason he never got more of a chance in Washington. This is the first time I’ve seen his AAA stat-line from 2023 – but, that’s not the only time I’ve seen a promising player do terribly in the Nats’ system.
Talk about putting lipstick on a pig…….
Nonsense
Potential at 28, or failed potential? Seems our entire system is filled with potential. What we need is established league average or better players. We seem to have a significant shortage there– especially on the mound.
28 isn’t too old to have potential… cough Joey Meneses cough cough
Richie’s agent chimes in
Playoff bound!
The guy can’t hit his weight against MLB pitching.
@scott
that make you feel better to post that?
give the guy a break,
The scouting report says his defense has upside, but it’s inside out.
(…Had to try for a “Livin’ La Vida Loca” joke no one else had made yet.)
Angels not messing around this off season!
Big splash!
This move has got to make them the Favorites now in the west.
Best in the West?? More like World Series Shoe-In’s! Shohei made a bad move… Long live Trout!
FINALLY……..this signing proves the Angels intend to compete this year.
We need a change of ownership. This could be a successful franchise for a new owner with the fundamentals like building, a grade A farm system with superior player development program with top coaching staff build a young team. Arte Moreno has spent a lot of money on hitters, but never on pictures where has that got him seven years of consecutive, losing superior pictures will shut down superior hitters. Pitching is the name of the game in baseball for some reason Moreno doesn’t understand this theory most angel fans want him to ride into the sunset and never be seen again involved in the Orange County scandal Arte should’ve took the money and run last year if this is how we continue for the next several years as much as I don’t want to trade my trout. Now I’m in favor of trading him to a winning team. let them have a chance to compete in a World Series.
I think Perry Minasian should resign you don’t wanna be Arte Morenos puppet do you
Dollar Tree special!
This could be it. This could be all we need.