Detroit Tigers Designate Quintin Berry for Assignment, Re-Acquire Francisco Martinez

February 22, 2013; Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA; Detroit Tigers outfielder Quintin Berry (52) during spring training against the Atlanta Braves at Disney Wide World of Sports complex, Champion Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

According to a Tweet by the Detroit News’ Tom Gage, the Detroit Tigers have designated outfielder Quintin Berry for assignment.

Berry was an instant superstar in the minds of some fans in Detroit after he busted onto the scene with a hot bad mid-season last year, but he couldn’t keep the magic going down the stretch and was hitting below .170 in AAA to start this season. The hot little run in Detroit aside, Berry just didn’t have a track record of hitting well at any level, and, despite the speed, wasn’t a plus glove in the outfield. He was a decent commodity to have in the system, but at the end of the day he was very, very expendable.

The Tigers have 10 days to trade him or release him. If he clears waivers, the Tigers could try to bring him back on a minor league deal.

According to the Tweet, the Tigers made the move to make room for third baseman Francisco Martinez, a former Tigers prospect who was originally sent to Seattle as part of the Doug Fister trade.

[UPDATE:] According to Chris Iott, the Tigers have agreed to send a player to be named later or cash in return for the rights to Martinez.