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Toronto Blue Jays cut ties with former top prospect at just 23 years old

Colton Pankiw
Colton Pankiw
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Sep 11 2025, 10:37 pm
Toronto Blue Jays cut ties with former top prospect at just 23 years old
Nathan Ray Seebeck/Imagn Images

The Toronto Blue Jays have cut ties with what appeared to be a very promising prospect just a few years ago.

The Blue Jays announced this afternoon that Orelvis Martinez has been designated from assignment, thus putting an end to his time with the organization.

The 23-year-old Martinez, who appeared in his first and only MLB game to date with the Blue Jays in 2024, was having a miserable season with Triple-A Buffalo. Through 99 games and 394 plate appearances, he was hitting just .176 with 13 home runs and 32 RBI.

It’s quite the fall from grace for Martinez, who, heading into the 2024 season, was listed as the second-best prospect in the Blue Jays system. His stock was rising even more shortly after, as he hit .267 with 17 home runs and 49 RBI in 74 games at the Triple A level before being called up to the Blue Jays.

That stint with the Jays wound up being short-lived, however, as Martinez received an 80-game suspension just two days after his MLB debut after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. He was activated from the restricted list in late September, but was sent back to Triple A immediately after.

Martinez will soon hit the free-agent market and will be looking to latch on with another organization in hopes of rejuvenating what once looked to be a very promising career. It’s a disappointing ending between himself and the Jays, though his struggles this season, paired with his suspension in 2024, saw his stock plummet to a level nobody would have envisioned 15 months ago.

Parting ways with Martinez opened up a spot on the 40-man roster for Alek Manoah, who is continuing to rehab from season-ending surgery in 2024 to repair the UCL of his throwing elbow. He was immediately optioned to Triple-A after being added to the 40-man roster.

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