Share Video
President of baseball operations John Mozeliak said Saturday that he views Martinez as someone who "could play everyday" during the 2019 season, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Martinez will probably be given the opportunity to compete for a full-time position in the corner outfield during spring training, but his shortcomings as a defender along with the addition of first baseman Paul Goldschmidt make it unlikely that he'll be an everyday player, despite Mozeliak's comments. Goldschmidt's acquisition fueled speculation that Martinez would be dealt this offseason, but there hasn't been much momentum for any trade over the past month and a half, as Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic noted two weeks ago that the Cardinals are "less willing to move Martinez than they were previously." Given Martinez's status as a standout performer against left-handed pitching who's under club control through 2022, the Cardinals seem content to stash him as a high-quality platoon bat and insurance option in the event of an injury to Goldschmidt or one of their corner outfielders.
