Astros claim Fernando Martinez off waivers

The Astros have claimed OF Fernando Martinez off waivers, according to Adam Rubin of ESPN New York. Martinez, along with LHP Daniel Herrera were placed on irrevocable waivers earlier this week and their departures clear two spots on the 40-man roster for Jon Rauch and Frank Francisco. Martinez hit .260 with eight HR and 30 RBI in 223 at-bats at Triple-A Buffalo, while batting .227 in 11 games with the Mets in 2011. He’s hit .183 with two home runs and 12 RBI in 131 at-bats over 47 big league games between 2009-2011. Michael Baron: It’s funny – two and three years ago F-Mart was among the top prospects in the Mets organization (and in the game for that matter); he was the player Omar Minaya would NOT trade for Johan Santana in January, 2008. But given his injury history and the level of minor league depth the Mets now have in the outfield, it’s not surprising the Mets gave up on him at this point. While I don’t think it’s wise to give up on anyone (especially former top prospects w...