Why Did the Colorado Rockies Sign Nick Martini?

On Wednesday, Mark Feinsand shared news of two Colorado Rockies MiLB signings with invitations to Spring Training.

The first is Keston Hiura:

Hiura, a former top prospect for the Milwaukee Brewers, was red hot in 2022 but since cooled off. Given the Rockies signing of Kyle Farmer and Thairo Estrada, the decision to take a flyer on Hiura as well seems curious, but they are probably looking for a player to backup Michael Toglia.

The second signing, however, is more interesting, I think.

Given the absolute glut of Rockies outfielders, especially prospects, this seems a strange signing, so it’s worth taking a moment in an attempt to divine what the Rockies might be thinking.

Can You Give Us Some Background?

I can do that.

The 34-year-old native of Crystal Lake, Illinois, grew up a Chicago Cubs fan and attended college at Kansas State University. During the 2009-2011 seasons, Martini safely reached base in 93 consecutive games, an impressive feat.

He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the seventh round of the 2011 MLB Draft. The lefty outfielder worked his way through the Cards’ system until being granted free agency in November 2017.

After that, his was a winding road.

Martini spent 2018 with the Oakland Athletics; 2019 with the San Diego Padres; 2021 with the Chicago Cubs; and 2022 with the NC Dinos. (He did not play during the 2020 COVID-shortened season.)

Things began to settle a bit for him in 2023 when he joined the Cincinnati Reds. Although he spent most of that season with the Triple-A Louisville Bats, he finished the year with the Reds, appearing in 29 games. He slashed .264/.329/.583 including six home runs and 16 RBI.

In 2024, Martini made the Reds MLB Opening Day roster, hitting two homers to celebrate the start of the season.

He underwent surgery to repair a torn thump ligament on July 10. Martini was activated on September 24 and removed from the Reds roster on November 1.

As Drew Koch writes, “With so many young and talented players in the organization, Martini became a roster casualty.”

All told in 52 games, he slashed .212/.272/.370 with five home runs and 24 RBI.

And then he signed with the Colorado Rockies.

How Are the Numbers?

They’re fine, I guess.

He has a career slashline of .252/.336/.400 (101 wRC+) in 193 MLB games. That includes 13 home runs — after spending a season in hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark. His career K% is 21.7%. Frankly, nothing stands out in his offensive profile.

Defensively, he’s played all of the outfield though primarily in left. (Interestingly enough, the Reds used him at first in 2023 for nine innings.) He has a career DRS of -5, and there is no defensive position at which he has been above replacement-level. (His DRS at first is zero.) His career OAA is -1, and he’s earned a career FRV of -4.

And that’s it.

So, Why Did the Rockies Sign Him?

That’s the question.

Clearly, there are no bad MiLB contracts. It costs the Rockies nothing to bring Martini into Spring Training and let him play in a few games to see what happens.

However, the Reds are not the only team with “so many young and talented players in the organization.”

The Rockies glut of young outfielders is clear. Presumably, they will start the season with Nolan Jones, Brenton Doyle, and Jordan Beck. Sam Hilliard (like Jones, also a lefty), Kyle Farmer, and Kris Bryant will provide backup.

Then there’s a crowded farm system that includes Zac Veen, Yanquiel Fernandez, Benny Montgomery, Greg Jones, and Sterlin Thompson — and it’s possible Beck starts the season in Albuquerque. Still, that’s a lot of players to sort through.

Plus, fans have not forgotten last season when Jake Cave was brought on as a fourth outfielder — and promptly logged more innings than he had in any other season of his career.

Some fans have expressed concerns that Martini might take away opportunities from younger players, and given Bud Black’s tendency to prefer veterans over prospects, those fears are not unfounded.

More than the outfield, though, I was struck by those nine innings Martini spent at first. I suspect as a final move, the Rockies are looking for someone to backup Michael Toglia, who played in 90 consecutive games in 2024 in large part because he did not have a backup. But spending only nine games in the position hardly seems like a stellar recommendation for Martini — and isn’t that Kyle Farmer’s job, anyway?

So, I guess I’ll return to the truism that there are no bad MiLB contracts, but who knows?

Closing Thoughts

We should know the Rockies Spring Training invitees list soon, and perhaps then things will come into focus.

Maybe Martini is willing to spend time in Albuquerque waiting for the phone to ring. But for now, this is not a move that makes much sense.

Coming Soon

I wanted to let folks know that the author Melissa Ludtke will be coming to Denver in February to talk with Jenny Cavnar about women in baseball

On Tuesday, February 4 at 6:00 pm, the Tattered Cover will host Cavnar and Ludtke as they discuss breaking glass ceilings in MLB. Ludtke is also promoting her book Locker Room Talk: A Woman’s Struggle to Get Inside, which describes what it took for her to be the first woman admitted to an MLB clubhouse.

It should be a great evening.

What I’m Reading

• “How Productive Were Those Outs? Team Edition” (FanGraphs) — That the Rockies offense has been bad is just a fact. How very bad it was, though, Ben Clemens explains.

• “Can Michael Toglia Win the Gold Glove in 2025?” (Purple Row) — I thought Skyler Timmens’ look at Toglia’s defense was really interesting.

• “Daniel Bard To Throw Off Mound In February, Planning To Sign In April” (MLB Trade Rumors) — The former Rockies closer will attempt another comeback reports Rob Bradfield. Here’s wishing him all the best, but I have trouble seeing the Rockies re-sign him given how much they paid and how little they received from his last contract. (Don’t forget that Bard has a book coming out in the spring as well.)

• “Inside a Star Pitcher’s 57-Day MLB Free Agency Journey” (SI.com) — Tom Verducci takes the reader through Corbin Barnes free agency before signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks (seemingly out of nowhere). It’s a great reminder that players are people, too, with lives outside of baseball. (If you’re interested, I interviewed Burns back in September.)

Closing Thoughts

And that’s it for this week.

Hopefully, we will soon know more about the Rockies Spring Training plans. After all, pitchers and catchers will be reporting in less than a month.

As always, thanks for reading, and feel free to share this with a friend.

Renee

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Rockies Pitch is a newsletter that focuses on Colorado Rockies baseball and tries to tell the stories no one else is. Find me on Bluesky at @Renee.Dechert.com.