Colorado Rockies news and links for Tuesday, January 21, 2025
Let’s start with a simple truth: There are no bad MiLB contracts.
The organization does not invest in the player, and there’s a decent chance they will start in Triple-A as a kind of ‘break glass in case of emergency’ backup.
Moreover, it’s not unusual for any MLB team to sign a number of players to MiLB contracts for just that reason — and sometimes, they work out. Look at Connor Joe (for the first half of 2021) or CJ Cron in 2022 or Mike Moustakas in 2023. Sometimes, an MiLB contract with an invitation to spring training is a win for all parties involved.
Then, think, say, of Harold Castro (270 plate appearances with a .252/.275/.314 slashline and a 45 wRC+), who took up playing time that could have gone to developing prospects.
So we turn to the Colorado Rockies who are shoring up their roster before heading into spring training.
After signing utility player Kyle Farmer and second baseman Thairo Castro to MLB contracts, Mark Feinsand reported last week that the Rockies have also signed Keston Hiura and Nick Martini to MiLB contracts with invitations to spring training.
The Martini contract is notable given that he shares some similarities with Jake Cave.
It’s important to note at the outset that Cave did not come to the Rockies as an MiLB contract. Rather, the Rockies traded with the Philadelphia Phillies to bring him in. As I wrote at the time, “His place on a team gridlocked with first basemen and outfielders remains unclear as is his place in the “six-man platoon.”
Cave would go on to be the Rockies’ primary right fielder and accumulate -.08 rWAR. (Read Evan Lang’s “Ranking the Rockies” analysis here.)
Still, it’s a comparison that merits further examination.
What can you tell us about him?
Nick Martini is a 34-year-old native of Crystal Lake, Illinois. Growing up, the lefty outfielder was a Chicago Cubs fan, and he attended college at Kansas State. Notably, Martini safely reached base in 93-consecutive games during the 2009-2011 seasons.
In 2011, he was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the seventh round of the MLB Draft. He then began working through the Cards’ system. In November 2017, he was granted free agency.
After that, Martini bounced around.
He spent 2018 with the Oakland Athletics; in 2019, he signed with the San Diego Padres; in 2021, he was with his childhood favorite Cubs; and in 2022, Martini headed to the KBO and signed with the NC Dinos. (He did not play during the 2020 COVID-shortened season.)
In 2023, he seemed to find his niche with the Cincinnati Reds. Although he spent most of that season with the Triple-A Louisville Bats, Martini appeared in 29 games and finished the year with the Reds. That season, he slashed .264/.329/.583, including six home runs and 16 RBI.
Martini made the Reds’ MLB 2024 Opening Day roster. He even hit two homers to ring in the start of the season.
Then on July 10, he underwent surgery to repair a torn thumb ligament. He was activated on September 24 and removed from the Reds roster on November 1.
As Drew Koch of Blog Red Machine writes, “With so many young and talented players in the organization, Martini became a roster casualty.”
All told in 52 games with the Reds, he slashed .212/.272/.370 with five home runs and 24 RBI.
And then he signed with the Colorado Rockies.
It’s worth noting that Martini has played six games with 29 plate appearances at Coors Field. He’s earned a .208/.345/.417. His five hits include three doubles and a triple.
He has a career slashline of .252/.336/.400 (101 wRC+) in 193 MLB games.
How’s the defense, then?
Not remarkable, frankly.
Defensively, Martini has played throughout the outfield — primarily in left field. (Interestingly enough, the Reds used him at first in 2023 for nine innings.)
He has a career DRS of -5, and there is no defensive position at which he has been above replacement-level. (His first base DRS is zero.) Martini’s career OAA is -1, and he’s earned a career FRV of -4.
In short, these are not the career numbers of a defensive wizard.
Okay, how does he compare to Jake Cave?
Well, both are lefties, and thanks to FanGraphs, that’s a comparison we can easily make.
FanGraphs
Clearly, Cave has had more opportunities, as in three times as many. Martini, however, has a league-average wRC+ (101) to Cave’s 85, and the superior slashline in terms of batting average and on-base percentage. He also walks more (9.6% versus 6.3%) and strikes out less (21.7% compared to 20.8%). However, interestingly, both players have a .400 SLG.
Cave has a clear advantage in stolen bases: 13 to Martini’s one.
Now consider the defensive numbers, again, per FanGraphs.
FanGraphs
Neither player has been a particularly notable defender though Martini’s -1 DRS as a center fielder with the Athletics is better than Cave’s -9. (But Martini’s time in Oakland was a long time ago.)
Perhaps the Rockies were intrigued by Martini’s time at first base, but he has only seen nine innings there, so they are probably looking at him as a potential outfielder.
Are there any other comparators?
Cave is 32 to Martini’s 34, so there’s that. In addition, Cave’s salary in 2024 was $1 million. Martini would come to the Rockies with 2.118 years of service time and no MiLB options. Presumably, he would make less than Cave did.
It’s difficult to see Martini as anything other than a less-expensive Jake Cave.
So now what?
We wait for spring training.
Presumably, the starting outfield will be Nolan Jones, Brenton Doyle, and Jordan Beck with Sam Hilliard, Kris Bryant, and Kyle Farmer providing backup.
Then there are all those prospects that need playing time (e.g., Greg Jones, Zac Veen, Yanquiel Fernandez, Benny Montgomery — you know the list.) So it would seem like the Rockies would be set when it comes to outfielders.
Don’t forget, though, that last year, the Rockies took Bradley Zimmer for a test run before trading for Cave instead.
Maybe Martini would provide veteran leadership to a young Albuquerque Isotopes team — perhaps with Keston Huira and Austin Nola.
Let’s revisit this in six weeks.
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Happenings
I wanted to let you know about a Tattered Cover reading that looks pretty interesting.
I read Ludtke’s book Locker Room Talk: A Woman’s Struggle to Get Inside last year. It’s an important book in which she describes what she went through in getting access to an MLB clubhouse, in this case, that of the New York Yankees.
If you can make it, I hope you’ll attend.
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Chris Iannetta and the evolution of Rockies catchers | Blake Street Banter
Gavin McNeish examines the history of Rockies catchers and look to the farm to see if this part of the lineup may improve as prospects are promoted.
Royals sign Harold Castro to a minor league contract | MLB Trade Rumors
Speaking of Harold Castro . . . .
Correction: Nick Martini’s age is 34, not 31. The author was correct in one instance and wrong in the other. However, the story has been corrected. The author regrets the error.
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