Jose Martinez is this year’s Jed Lowrie Award winner
I feel bad for Jose Martinez. Not just because I thought he could be a nice bat off the bench for the Mets. The guy’s career now has a big empty space on it for the 2021 season.
Signed in the offseason to a minor league deal, Martinez looked like a strong bat to compete against Almora for a final roster spot on Opening Day. Knee surgery landed him on the IL and Martinez was never able to fully recover and get back on the field.
There was some limited hope during his rehab assignments that Martinez could get a couple of at-bats for the Mets. Instead, he put up a goose egg and has become this year’s Jed Lowrie Award winner.
Lowrie, as the legend goes, spent the 2019 and 2020 seasons with the Mets. He only ever made 8 plate appearances in 9 games without ever playing the field. He was the punchline of those two seasons even if it was an injury that apparently held him back.
Amazingly enough, Lowrie had a productive year for the Oakland Athletics in 2021 as their starting second baseman. Martinez can only hope to do the same somewhere next year. And when it does happen, expect to hear the hearts of Mets fans breaking.
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