Orioles sign infielder Ozzie Martinez
By Roch Kubatko
Searching for middle infield depth, the Orioles have signed Ozzie Martinez to a minor league contract. A team official confirmed the transaction.
Martinez, 26, batted .288/.340/.350 with 11 doubles and two triples in 78 games with Triple-A Gwinnett in the Braves organization. He also played in 33 games at Double-A Chattanooga in the Dodgers system.
Martinez, an 11th-round pick by the Marlins in the 2006 First-Year Player Draft, has played shortstop, second base, third base and the outfield in the minors. He was included in the September 2011 trade to the White Sox for manager Ozzie Guillen.
Martinez appeared in 34 games with the Marlins in 2010 and 2011, going 17-for-66 (.258) with four doubles and a triple. He's a career .257/.317/.336 hitter in nine minor league seasons.
The Orioles want to upgrade the shortstop position at the Triple-A level. Martinez has appeared in 619 games at short, the most of any position.
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