The Orioles have claimed catcher Luis Martinez off waivers from the Rangers, the team announced Friday.

The 27-year-old Martinez made 19 plate appearances with the Rangers in 2012, hitting two singles while striking out four times and walking zero times. He hit .270/.350/.386 with two home runs in 247 plate appearances for Triple-A Round Rock in 2012.

The Orioles are high on Martinez's defensive capabilities, according to MASNSports.com's Roch Kubatko.

The Rangers announced that catcher Eli Whiteside has cleared waivers and been assigned to Triple-A Round Rock. Whiteside had been claimed three times on waivers since ending the 2012 season with the Giants, spending a brief amount of time with the Yankees and Blue Jays.

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