Jeff Luhnow probably is using his knowledge of the Cardinals' farm system to sign 26 year old middle infielder Jose Martinez. Martinez was considered the best middle infielder in the Cardinals' farm system at one time, rising to No. 8 on the Cardinals' Top 10 prospects in 2008. Then he suffered injuries and a difficult family tragedy, which made him miss the next few seasons. If you believe Total Zone and Range Factor, he was a good defensive player in his younger days. It's unknown, of course, whether subsquent injuries changes that conclusion. His minor league career OPS is .713. He probably is being picked up to see if he can help the Astros in the minors. But it's worth knowing his name, so we don't get "who is this?" when we report minor league box scores.

Hat tip to "What the Heck, Bobby?"