Former Major League Baseball player Andy Marte died in an automobile accident Sunday morning, according to MLB Trade Rumors and multiple news outlets in the Dominican Republic.
Former Cleveland Indians infielder Andy Marte killed in car crash
Marte, who was 33 years old, died in an early-morning car crash in his home country, the Dominican Republic.
Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images
Marte, who was 33, was killed in the Dominican Republic, his home country. The news was confirmed via Twitter by J.M.G. Baseball, the agency that represented Marte.
Reports indicate Marte was traveling alone in the vehicle when the accident occurred:
Sad to learn of Andy Marte's death this morning. He was a genuine person who always greeted you with a warm smile.
— Cleveland Indians (@Indians) January 22, 2017
RIP. pic.twitter.com/VoIWgLpqcr
His professional baseball career began in 2000 when he signed with the Atlanta Braves as an international free agent. From there, his stock began to climb as a prospect and he made his major league debut in 2005. The following offseason found Marte being traded to the Red Sox.
On Jan. 27, 2006, the Red Sox traded him to the Cleveland Indians along with reliever Guillermo Mota, catcher Kelly Shoppach, Randy Newsom, and cash considerations and obtained center fielder Coco Crisp, catcher Josh Bard, and pitcher David Riske in return.
During his time with the Indians, Marte went .224/.281/.369 and hit 20 home runs over that span and had 92 RBI (stats via Baseball-Reference). In Feb. 2009, Marte was sent down to the AAA Columbus Clippers, an affiliate of the Indians. There he played in 82 games and hit .327 with 18 homers.
After his stint with Cleveland, Marte ended up moving around the league as he shuffled through time with the Pirates, Angels, and Diamondbacks. In 2014, Marte signed with the Korean Baseball Organization and the KT Wiz, where he spent the past two seasons.
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