RAYS ADD UTILITY MAN MICHAEL MARTINEZ
The Tampa Bay Rays acquired infielder/outfielder Michael Martinez from the Cleveland Indians for a player to be named later or cash considerations.
What does it give the Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays recently lost versatile left-handed batter Brad Miller to an abdominal injury. He had been playing as Tampa Bay's everyday second baseman so far in 2017, so adding Martinez gives the Rays valuable bench strength and depth. Daniel Robertson is expected to replace Miller in the lineup most of the time, so Martinez will replace Robertson off the bench. Martinez is a solid pickup because of his versatility.
What does it give the Cleveland Guardians
The Indians had recently designated Martinez for assignment, so they were at least able to get back a future asset or cash in return. Cleveland replaced Martinez on the 25-man roster with infielder Erik Gonzalez (who is a better hitter than Martinez, while almost as versatile in the field). This is a fairly minor deal, but it made sense from both sides. That said, the Tribe do not expect Martinez to make a big impact.
Fantasy impact
Martinez can play all over the field, which is his main attribute. That does not help fantasy rosters much if he does not receive quality playing time, which he likely will not get in Tampa Bay.
