Osvaldo "Ozzie" Martínez (born May 7, 1988) is a Puerto Rican

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who ...

for the

Sioux Falls Canaries The Sioux Falls Canaries are a professional baseball team based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. The Canaries are members of the North Division of the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major L ...

of the

American Association of Professional Baseball The American Association of Professional Baseball is an independent professional baseball league founded in 2005. It operates in the central United States and Canada, mostly in cities not served by Major League Baseball teams or their minor lea ...

. He played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) for the

Florida Marlins The Miami Marlins are an American professional baseball team based in Miami. The Marlins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The club's home ballpark is LoanDepot Park. The franc ...

Career

Florida Marlins

Martínez was drafted by the

in the 11th round of the 2006 Major League Baseball draft out of

Porterville College Porterville College is a public community college in Porterville, California. It was established in 1927. Notable alumni and faculty * Wayne Hardin Irving Wayne Hardin (March 23, 1926 – April 12, 2017) was an American football player and co ...

. He was called up to the Majors for the first time on September 19, 2010, walking in his one at-bat as a pinch hitter. The following day, he started at shortstop for the Marlins against the

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals hav ...

and recorded his first hit, a single to center field off

Chris Carpenter Christopher John Carpenter (born April 27, 1975) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays and St. Louis Cardinals from 1997 to 2012. A Cy Young Award win ...

. He appeared in 14 games for the Marlins in 2010 and another 20 in 2011, with a combined batting average of .258.

Chicago White Sox

Martínez and Jhan Mariñez were sent to the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

on September 29, 2011 as compensation for the hiring of

Ozzie Guillén Oswaldo José Guillén Barrios (; born January 20, 1964) is a former professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for 16 seasons, primarily with the Chicago White Sox, from 1985 to 2000. During tha ...

by the Marlins, as Guillen had one year remaining on his contract with the White Sox.

Los Angeles Dodgers

On July 10, 2012, Martínez was traded to the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

for cash considerations. With the AAA

Albuquerque Isotopes The Albuquerque Isotopes are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies. They play home games at Rio Grande Credit Union Field at Isotopes Park in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at an el ...

, he played in 39 games and hit .255. On November 23, 2012, he was resigned to the

on a minor league deal, with an invitation to spring training. He split the season between Albuquerque and AA

Chattanooga Chattanooga ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Tennessee, United States. Located along the Tennessee River bordering Georgia, it also extends into Marion County on its western end. With a population of 181,099 in 2020, ...

and hit .247 in 89 games.

Atlanta Braves

On May 18, 2014, Martínez was traded to the

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...

, who assigned him to the

Gwinnett Braves The Gwinnett Stripers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Atlanta Braves. They play their home games at Coolray Field in unincorporated Gwinnett County, Georgia (with a Lawrencevil ...

. In 78 games for Gwinnett, he batted .288/.340/.350 with no home runs and 22 RBI.

Baltimore Orioles

On November 18, 2014, Martínez signed a minor league contract with the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...

organization. In 2015, he played in 122 games for the Double-A

Bowie Baysox The Bowie Baysox are a Minor League Baseball team located in Bowie, Maryland. They are the Double-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, and play in the Eastern League. Their home ballpark is Prince George's Stadium. History From 1989 to 1992, ...

, hitting .252/.310/.303 with 2 home runs and 30 RBI. He re-signed with the team following the season, and was invited to major league

Spring Training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...

with the team in 2016. He did not make the team and played in 95 games for the Triple-A

Norfolk Tides The Norfolk Tides are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. They are located in Norfolk, Virginia, and are named in nautical reference to the city's location on the Chesapea ...

, batting .236/.271/.309 with 4 home runs and 34 RBI. He became a free agent following the season on November 7, 2016.

Chicago Cubs

On March 7, 2017, Martínez signed with the

Sugar Land Skeeters The Sugar Land Space Cowboys are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros Major League Baseball club. They are located in Sugar Land, Texas, part of the Greater Houston metr ...

of the

Atlantic League of Professional Baseball The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB) is a professional independent baseball league based in the United States. It is an official MLB Partner League based in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern United States. The Atlantic League's ...

. On April 4, 2017, Martínez signed a minor league deal with the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

. He played in 61 games split between the Double-A

Tennessee Smokies The Tennessee Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in Kodak, Tennessee, a suburb of Knoxville. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They play at Smokies Stadium, directly off Int ...

and the Triple-A

Iowa Cubs The Iowa Cubs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs. They are located in Des Moines, Iowa, and are named for their Major League Baseball (MLB) affiliate. The ...

, hitting a cumulative .240/.276/.302 with 2 home runs and 12 RBI. He elected free agency following the season on November 6.

Road Warriors

Martínez signed with the

Road Warriors The Road Warriors, also known as the Legion of Doom, were a professional wrestling tag team composed of Road Warrior Hawk (Michael Hegstrand) and Road Warrior Animal (Joseph Laurinaitis).. They performed under the name "The Road Warriors" in t ...

of the

for the 2018 season. He was released on July 9, 2018. Martinez re-signed with the team on August 2, 2018. He became a free agent following the 2018 season. In 105 games he hit .256/.307/.347 with 7 homeruns and 27 RBIs.

New Britain Bees

On March 5, 2019, Martínez signed with the

New Britain Bees The New Britain Bees are an American collegiate summer baseball team based in New Britain, Connecticut. They are a member of the Futures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL), a wood-bat league with teams in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connectic ...

of the

. He became a free agent following the 2019 season. In 103 games he hit .227/.293/.298 with 3 home runs and 27 RBIs.

Cleburne Railroaders

On February 24, 2021, Martínez signed with the

Cleburne Railroaders The Cleburne Railroaders are a professional baseball team based in Cleburne, Texas, that plays in the American Association of Professional Baseball, an official Partner League of Major League Baseball. The team, which began play in 2017, plays i ...

of the

. He was released on December 2, 2021. In 89 games he hit .315/.368/.487 with 14 home runs and 56 RBIs.

Sioux Falls Canaries

On May 21, 2022, Martínez signed with the

of the

. In 86 games he hit .271/.341/.356 with 6 home runs and 35 RBI. He was named an All-Star for Sioux Falls in 2022. He was released on September 13, 2022. On May 18, 2023, Martínez re-signed with the Canaries.https://aabaseball.com/transactions/

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Martinez, Osvaldo 1988 births Living people Major League Baseball players from Puerto Rico Major League Baseball shortstops Baseball players at the 2019 Pan American Games Pan American Games gold medalists for Puerto Rico Pan American Games medalists in baseball Florida Marlins players Jacksonville Suns players Gulf Coast Marlins players Jupiter Hammerheads players Jamestown Jammers players Greensboro Grasshoppers players New Britain Bees players New Orleans Zephyrs players Charlotte Knights players Albuquerque Isotopes players Chattanooga Lookouts players Gwinnett Braves players Criollos de Caguas players Sportspeople from Carolina, Puerto Rico Phoenix Desert Dogs players Gigantes de Carolina (baseball) players Bowie Baysox players Norfolk Tides players Iowa Cubs players Atenienses de Manatí (baseball) players Medalists at the 2019 Pan American Games Liga de Béisbol Profesional Roberto Clemente infielders Sioux Falls Canaries players Cleburne Railroaders players