The Philadelphia Phillies have been trending in the wrong direction recently. Rob Thomson's club is heading into the weekend after dropping back-to-back road games to the Toronto Blue Jays, resulting in the Phillies now losing seven of their last 10 outings — completely inexcusable for a supposed World Series contender.
As bad as things are for the Phillies, the same can be said for some of the team's former players. Forgotten outfielder Nick Martini was designated for assignment by the Colorado Rockies at the end of May. No matter how it's sliced, being kicked to the curb by baseball's worst team is never a good look.
Much to his delight, though, it didn't take Martini long to land a fresh start.
Former Phillies OF Nick Martini Joins Athletics After Being DFA'd
On Thursday night, CBS Sports reported that the Athletics have signed Martini following his being DFA'd by the Rockies. The 34-year-old outfielder elected for free agency earlier this week and will attempt to carve out a role with another one of the MLB's bottom-feeding teams.
Interestingly enough, it isn't Martini's first time with the A's. He previously signed a minor-league contract with the organization in 2018 before going on to crack the big-league roster, eventually tallying two home runs, 21 RBIs, 23 walks, and a .282/.385/.411 slash line in 61 games (163 at-bats) with the Athletics.
Since leaving Oakland, Martini has made stops with the San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, and Rockies, as well as a brief stint in South Korea. The Crystal Lake, IL native was claimed off waivers by the Phillies before the 2020 campaign; however, he didn't end up playing a game due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Only time will reveal if Martini can get more consistency out of his bat amid his fresh start. The forgotten Phillies OF was slashing .225/.288/.294 with one homer and four RBIs in 43 games (102 ABs) with the Rockies before being DFA'd, meaning he has a long way to prove that he can still be a big-league presence.
The Phillies already faced the Athletics at the end of May, meaning a reunion meeting with Martini is off the table for now. Instead, Philadelphia fans will have to cheer on their former outfielder's bounce-back attempt from afar.