Toronto Blue Jays Release Former Top-100 Prospect
The Toronto Blue Jays have released former top infield prospect Orelvis Martinez, ending a turbulent 15 months that included a brief MLB debut, an 80-game suspension, and a steep Triple-A downturn.
Toronto designated Martinez for assignment to open a 40-man roster spot when they activated Alek Manoah from the 60-day injured list. Because Martinez was on the minor league injured list at Triple-A Buffalo, he could not be outrighted, and post–Sept. 1 players on the 40-man cannot be traded.
That sequence left the club with one realistic path: release waivers and an exit to free agency.
Orelvis Martinez (DFA’d by TOR) struggled mightily in AAA this season with a 72 wRC+ following his suspension for PEDs
— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) September 11, 2025
The power metrics took a hit and he has ran poor contact rates. He was considered one of the Blue Jays top prospects as recent as last season https://t.co/GxnslkkXeN pic.twitter.com/5r36SRvh0w
Why Toronto Chose Release Over the 60-Day IL
The Blue Jays could have transferred Martinez to the MLB 60-day injured list to free the roster spot, but that move would have required paying roughly two weeks of the prorated major league minimum. The club’s decision to release him instead just shows how far his stock has fallen since he ranked among their top prospects.
Toronto may still circle back on a minor league contract this winter, a common outcome after procedural releases, yet Martinez can now survey the market for a fresh start.
The Blue Jays DFA'd prospect Orelvis Martinez today.
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) September 11, 2025
At Triple-A this season, he slashed .176/.288/.348.
He ranked No. 51 on our Top 100 in 2023.
More details: https://t.co/9yY5mqkNae pic.twitter.com/MfQpjGr6jP
From Brief Debut to Prolonged Slide
Martinez, 23, went 1-for-3 in his lone big league game in 2024 before receiving an 80-game suspension for a performance-enhancing drug violation. He returned to Buffalo and spent all of 2025 there until landing on the IL with an undisclosed injury last week.
The bat never reignited this season.
He hit .176/.288/.348 with 13 home runs and a 28.4% strikeout rate over 394 plate appearances, a sharp dip from last year’s .267/.346/.523 line with 17 homers in 319 trips.
Despite the slump, his youth and right-handed power will entice clubs willing to take a low-risk flier for 2026, potentially in a bat-first second or third base role or as a designated hitter option.
Photo Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
