Cardinals acquire OF Jose Martinez from Royals, assign to Memphis
ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Cardinals announced today that they have acquired outfielder Jose Martinez from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for cash considerations.
Martinez, who was playing for Triple-A Omaha this season, has been assigned to the Triple-A Memphis roster. To make room for Martinez on the team's 40-man major league roster, the Cardinals transferred right-handed pitcher Mitch Harris (right elbow) from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day DL.
Jose Alberto Martinez, 27, was batting .298 with three home runs and 18 RBIs with a .356 on-base percentage in 37 games with Omaha this season. He is the son of former big-league outfielder Carlos Martinez.
Martinez won the Pacific Coast League batting title last season (.384) while also posting a league-best .461 on-base percentage. His 2015 All-Star season also included a career-high 10 homers and 60 RBIs.
The 6-foot-6, 210-pound Martinez has played 800 career games in the minors, batting .296 with 53 homers, 354 RBIs and 63 stolen bases. Martinez, who was originally signed as non-drafted minor league free agent by the Chicago White Sox in February 2006, also played in the Atlanta Braves organization before joining the Royals in 2015.
