<p>Anonymous posted 3 days ago: "If I'm DiPoto, I'm calling #Texas about Leonys Martin. His 2015 campaign was terrible but in 2014, he was a 4.6 WAR player with a .325 OBP and 31 stolen bases. He's a bit of a risk but I think he could easily rebound in 2016." Then Anonymous, tonight, owned up to his egregious called shot. But I wish I knew who Anon WAS ...</p>
<p>Trading for a #9 hitter who doesn't walk and can't really hit much outside of #Texas is weird. I understand the defense part of the equation, but Wilhelmsen had a role and could fulfill it. Martin is exactly the kind of player that comes here as a marginal hitter with a bit of home park success and gets mulched by the Safe. He's a lefty, which should help, and has done all right as a visitor to Safeco, so maybe that will help also. He and Ketel have the same plate weaknesses, so hopefully our corner hitters all pull their weight.
<p>It's clear from DiPoto's statements regarding today's trade that he has really like Martin for a while, so when the opportunity presented itself to get him in a "buy low" situation he jumped at it. My liking of the trade is contingent, if I may indulge myself in this tautology, on DiPoto being right. In the article I read he talked to and relied heavily on Bolgar, the new bench coach and Nelson Cruz, both of whom knew him from their time in #Texas. If DiPoto misses on trades like this, he will go the way of Bavasi and Zduriencik.
<p>Lots to like in Martin, especially his +2 dWAR glove/range. A word of caution, however, he's a candidate for platooning. His career OPS vR is .703 (.573 last year) but is only .582 vL. That is dismal dismal-ness. If Guti could cover CF again you would have a terrific marriage. A 2nd word of caution: He's a career .695 hitter in #Texas (who isn't) but only .635 outside of #Texas. Sigh. Bass isn't Bartender, btw. If you're supposed to get the best player in the trade we might have. If martin gets in the .690 OPS range then he's a steal.
<p>For you hoops fans out there the University of #Washington Huskies #Basketball team tips off their season tonight at 7PM in #Shanghai, #China against the #Texas Longhorns on ESPN. Quite possibly the most talented freshman class in school #History will see their first collegiate action, our own take on the "Fab Five". Don't know that we'll be quite that successful as soon as the Fab Five were, but exciting #Basketball with a super athletic team win or lose. Bonus points in the UW teams favor: they are super fan-friendly.
<p>If I'm DiPoto, I'm calling #Texas about Leonys Martin. His 2015 campaign was terrible but in 2014, he was a 4.6 WAR player with a .325 OBP and 31 stolen bases. He's a bit of a risk but I think he could easily rebound in 2016.</p>
<p>Reading about Mel Stottlemyre jr.'s wish to be closer to home makes me wonder if he'll hire on as the MiLB pitching coordinator (the previous guy was cut loose) so that he has some flexibility in schedule rather than take a team coaching staff job. And I hope the Ms really can make a run at Mike Maddux for the ML staff. If he and Bogar/Servais got close while on the #Texas staff, this could be a coup far better that we could have hoped a few months ago. November 1st might be Christmas this year for the Ms!</p>
