A's Re-Sign Former Cincinnati Reds Outfielder

Former Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Martini is headed back to the team (not the place) where he made his MLB debut. The not-Sacramento Athletics have signed Martini to a minor-league contract according to his player page.

The 34-year-old debuted with the Oakland A's back in 2018, appearing in 55 games and batting .296 with a .397 OBP, but after a slow start in 2019 where he hit just .091, Martini was optioned back to the minors, and would make the trek back-and-forth between Oakland and Las Vegas (much like A's owner John Fisher) a couple of times before ultimately being designated for assignment in August.

The San Diego Padres scooped him up, but DFA'd him in November of '19, where he ended up getting claimed by the Reds. That's not where he journey with the team really took off, however. He was DFA'd by Cincinnati in January of 2020 and claimed by the Philadelphia Phillies, before reaching minor-league free agency after the season. He ended up signing with the Chicago Cubs, and made it into 25 with the Cubbies in 2021.

In 2023, again a free agent, Martini signed a minor-league deal with the Reds. He'd get called up in late August and hit .264 with a .329 OBP in 29 games. His peak moment with the Reds came on Opening Day of last year, as he hit two home runs and drove in five. He earned every day playing time for the first month, but he struggled and saw his opportunities dissipate at that point.

Martini was most recently with the Colorado Rockies this season, where he managed to hit .225 with a .288 on-base in 102 at-bats. He was DFA'd by the Rockies on May 30, and signed with the A's on June 5.

This is an interesting addition for the A's, since outfield is not necessarily an area of need for the club. They have Lawrence Butler in right signed to a long-term deal, and the defense that Denzel Clarke has provided in center is good enough to compensate for any production he provides at the plate. In two weeks, Clarke has become a top-11 defender in baseball at any position according to Statcast.

Left field is a little more of a mystery at the moment, but that's only because top prospect Nick Kurtz is currently on the IL. He is scheduled to run the bases on Saturday, and should be set for a rehab assignment shortly. Once he returns, Tyler Soderstrom will return to regular duty in left field.

The A's also have Brent Rooker, who can grab a glove and play left (like he did on Thursday), while Max Schuemann, Logan Davidson, and Drew Avans are all also options on the current roster. The other option being yet another highly ranked prospect in the A's system, Colby Thomas, who is batting .292 with a .359 OBP and 14 home runs in Triple-A.

The addition of Martini is purely as a depth option, and the club appeared to be searching for a substitute for Avans as the fourth or fifth outfielder, if needed.

The point being, there isn't a ton of playing time for Martini with the Athletics, but he could see a role as a veteran leader that has been in a few different clubhouses in the past, and could serve as a nice lefty option in certain scenarios.