As expected, Fernando Martinez didn’t make it very far on the waiver wire after being dropped from the 40-man roster by the Mets earlier this week. One spot, in fact.
Adam Rubin of ESPN New York reports that the 23-year-old former top prospect was snatched up by the Astros, who have the No. 1 waiver priority by virtue of their MLB-worst 56-106 record last season.
Martinez’s stock has plummeted during the past couple years because of chronic knee problems and mediocre production in the minors, but he’s certainly still worth taking a flier on for a rebuilding, talent-starved team like the Astros.
Mets fans are no doubt frustrated to lose Martinez for nothing after years of seeing him rumored to be the centerpiece of various blockbuster trade possibilities, but at this point his value is pretty marginal and general manager Sandy Alderson surely tried to get something in return for him via trade before placing him on waivers.
Blame injuries and the previous regime’s maddening tendency to rush top prospects through the minors. Or the fact that even the best prospects fail to pan out half the time, especially when the hype machine starts as a teenager.
