Joe Martinez?

1/5/11: NOTE: I just read a blog that indicated that possibly this is a 'pre-compensation' so that the Pirates can retain Josh Rodriguez who they took from the Indians in the Rule 5 draft.  If that is what this is then it is a stupid move but a typical one for the Indians.  If they don't like a guy or have a negative impression of a guy they will give him away essentially for nothing (see Ryan Church, Willy Taveras, Macier Izturis and Luke Scott a while back and Brandon Phillips more recently).  Not that other teams don't do that (see Brendan Ryan formerly of the Cardinals who was recently given away for essentially nothing).  Josh Rodriguez is worth more to the rebuilding Indians then a dime-a-dozen lefty like Martinez.  Yeah, if they were competing, the Indians thought Rodriguez was NOT a SS and so was 3rd on their minor league depth chart as a secondbaseman, I could even have seen them trading Rodriguez for Martinez, especially with Shapiro still around.  However, I believe that Rodriguez is underrated and, if you were going to do a pre-compensation situation, get back a prospect about the same level as Rodriguez, not an irrelevant major leaguer.

I don't know if that is what this move was (probably not as Rodriguez would STILL have to clear waivers).  However, if it was, it makes the move stink even more.  Again, it is more likely much less than that but who knows right now.  Time will tell.

The Indians just traded a PTBNL for the typical journeyman LHP Joe Martinez who, for some inexplicable reason, is now on our 40-man roster.  Before anyone goes ballistic, my guess is that they will DFA the guy and just took a flyer on him getting through waivers when they did.  Remember, you cannot have enough pitching...if that pitching is not clogging your 40-man roster.

As the 40-man roster now stands at 41, SOMEONE will have to be DFA'd, traded or released.  Me, I would be begging for Jayson Nix or Shelly Duncan, both of whom are my deadwood whipping boys of the week now that Germano was DFA'd to the minors.  If it is anyone but those two or someone else who can DFA'd without risking losing them (not 6-year professional veteran, never been DFA'd off a ML roster before) then this is a headscratcher.

My fear: Jess Todd is the PTBNL

You heard it here first if Martinez sticks: Teams who are destined to finish in last place who already have multiple LH reliever and starter options DO NOT trade for guys like Joe Martinez.  No way to spin this trade posiitively unless the PTBNL is Roman Pena (read:non-descript minor leaguer) and Martinez is DFA'd (read: we don't lose anyone off the 40-man roster).

Counting Martinez, here is the current 40-man roster.  Who do you think is going to be removed?

Pitchers

Fausto Carmona

Carlos Carrasco

Kelvin De La Cruz

Jeanmar Gomez

 Nick Hagadone

Frank Herrmann

David Huff

Josh Judy

Corey Kluber

Aaron Laffey

Jensen Lewis

Joe Martinez

Justin Masterson

Zach McAllister

Rafael Perez

Chris Perez

Vinnie Pestano

Hector Rondon

Tony Sipp

Joe Smith

Mitch Talbot

Jess Todd

Josh Tomlin

Catchers

Lou Marson

Carlos Santana                                            

Infielders                                          

Asdrubal Cabrera                                        

Jason Donald                                               

Jared Goedert                                              

Matt LaPorta                                     

Jayson Nix                                        

Luis Valbuena                                              

Outfielders                                      

 Michael Brantley                                           

Jordan Brown                                               

Ezequiel Carrera                                          

Shin-Soo Choo                                            

Trevor Crowe                                    

Shelley Duncan                                            

Austin Kearns                                               

 Grady Sizemore                                           

Nick Weglarz                                    

Designated Hitter                                      

Travis Hafner