Since 2005 we have been hearing about Fernando Martinez. He was the "Teenage Hitting Machine." The prospect that would actually work out during a time the Mets were relying on free agents. He was the future. However, his knees told another story. They were constantly a cause for concern and prevented him from playing consistently. Even though he had such a strong bat, he just couldn't stay on the field.
Fernando Martinez is now 23 years old and has been placed on waivers by the Mets. F-Mart defines why prospects are prospects. Why they aren't superstars the minute they sign to play professional baseball. If this was a perfect world he wouldn't have knee issues and he would have simply been in the minors because that's the way things work. When he was called up in 2009 he would have hit right away and there wouldn't be that image of him face-planting in the Miller Park outfield in the 2009 Mets blooper-reel.
There are going to be people that say the Mets didn't give him a shot. Didn't give him enough of a shot. They are going to say he's still young and could still work out. That last point is true, but it is also true that the Mets did whatever they could to have him succeed. He didn't warrant more MLB time from his minor league production. Yes, when he played he could hit but he just could never play enough for that time to mean much.
Perhaps another team will pick him up and figure out how to deal with the arthritic-kneed 23 year old. And if nobody wants to take that chance the Mets will have more time to work with him. Either way, the Mets have different prospects now. They aren't Fernando Martinez but the same risks are there. Some of them could work out and other won't. Fernando Martinez simply was one that didn't.
Let's Go Mets!
Fernando Martinez is now 23 years old and has been placed on waivers by the Mets. F-Mart defines why prospects are prospects. Why they aren't superstars the minute they sign to play professional baseball. If this was a perfect world he wouldn't have knee issues and he would have simply been in the minors because that's the way things work. When he was called up in 2009 he would have hit right away and there wouldn't be that image of him face-planting in the Miller Park outfield in the 2009 Mets blooper-reel.
There are going to be people that say the Mets didn't give him a shot. Didn't give him enough of a shot. They are going to say he's still young and could still work out. That last point is true, but it is also true that the Mets did whatever they could to have him succeed. He didn't warrant more MLB time from his minor league production. Yes, when he played he could hit but he just could never play enough for that time to mean much.
Perhaps another team will pick him up and figure out how to deal with the arthritic-kneed 23 year old. And if nobody wants to take that chance the Mets will have more time to work with him. Either way, the Mets have different prospects now. They aren't Fernando Martinez but the same risks are there. Some of them could work out and other won't. Fernando Martinez simply was one that didn't.
Let's Go Mets!
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