Barnstormers Sign Former Philadelphia Phillie Michael Martinez
Published on March 11, 2019 under Atlantic League (AtL)
Lancaster Stormers News Release
Michael Martinez, who spent three of his seven Major League seasons with the Philadelphia Phillies, has been signed by the Lancaster Barnstormers, it was announced today by manager Ross Peeples.
Martinez, 36, appeared in 162 games for Philadelphia from 2011-13. From there, he moved on to perform for the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays.
Over his seven big league campaigns, Martinez entered 294 games and appeared at every position except for first base and catcher.
He also played in the 2011 National League Division Series with the Phillies, coming off the bench in two games of the series. In 2016, Martinez played in seven post-season games for Cleveland, including four in the Tribe's World Series loss to the Chicago Cubs.
Martinez signed with the Washington Nationals in 2006. After he split the 2010 season between Class AA Harrisburg and Class AAA Syracuse, he was selected by the Phillies in the Rule V draft that December and spent the entire 2011 season with the Phils.
The switch hitter, who carries a .269 lifetime average in the minor leagues, swung at a .277 pace for Class AAA Columbus (OH) in 2017.
"Martinez is an experienced veteran player who will play a lot of shortstop for us but can actually play all over the field," said Peeples. "We look forward to having his leadership on our team and in our locker room."
The native of the Dominican Republic is the 16th player under contract with the Barnstormers for the 2019 season.
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