Blue Jays DFA Recent No. 2 Prospect
He was the No. 2 prospect in the Toronto Blue Jays' system as recently as last year, and made his major league debut in 2024. But after just one game in The Show, power-hitting second baseman Orelvis Martinez saw his career come crashing down. Now, he's been designated for assignment by the team.
Orelvis Martinez has been designated for assignment, the Blue Jays announced. pic.twitter.com/auWwlyMoPh
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) September 11, 2025
Martinez rose through the Jays system with a trio of power-packed seasons in the minors, with close to 30 home runs at the A-level in 2021, the AA-level in 2022, and the Triple-A level in 2023.
But after his one-game debut in 2024 in Toronto, he was suspended for 80 games by MLB after testing positive for a performance-enhancing drug.
That seems to have completely derailed his progress and destroyed his career with the Blue Jays, as he came back this year and batted a woeful .176 at Triple-A Buffalo with a .636 OPS.
It's a precipitous fall from grace.
He was DFA'd in order to make room for another player who suffered his own sharp, dizzying decline, Alek Manoah.
The right-hander was an All-Star and Cy Young finalist in 2022, and plummeted to an ERA of about 6.00 ever since. He's now been reinstated from the 60-day IL and sent to AAA.
Photo: © Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
