When the Indians acquired center fielder Leonys Martin from the Tigers on July 30 2018, it was not the type of trade deadline move many fans had hoped for. Martin’s addition to the roster was a very practical but unheralded move by the Indians and immediately addressed one of the team's biggest needs, upgrading their poor outfield defense.
Martin made a good first impression with his new team, batting .333 with two homers and four RBIs over his first 6 games. Thanks to an adjustment on his launch angle (16.2 degrees, compared to his career 10.6 degree mark), Martin was set to have more of an impact with his bat than perhaps the Indians had originally anticipated.
Just over a week into his tenure in Cleveland, Martin began to feel significant pain in his mid section and sadly would not feature for the Indians again in 2018. It was discovered that Martin had contracted a life-threatening bacterial infection in his bloodstream that attacked his internal organs and even his heart. The situation looked dire when Martin spent nearly a week in intensive care, fighting for his life. At that point, his baseball career was no longer the top priority - his health and a full recovery was of the utmost importance instead.
Thankfully, Martin and his doctors in Cleveland got the infection under control and in late November he was given the all-clear, and could begin the slow and steady rehabilitation process ahead of the 2019 season.
From almost losing his life to preparing for his ninth season in the majors, Martin has certainly experienced his fair share of drama during his brief time in Cleveland.
Now reportedly back to full fitness and with spring training on the horizon, Martin enters camp as one of the forgotten contributors on this Indians team. However, despite flying under the radar, he will be absolutely integral to the Tribe's defense, especially when you consider the uncertainty still prevalent in this outfield. His veteran presence and consistency will be depended on if he finds himself flanked in the corners by the relatively unproven duo of Jordan Luplow and Tyler Naquin. Unless the club make any more outfield signings or trades in the coming weeks, that's the situation Martin should expect come Opening Day.
Martin will be 31 years-old once the season begins so his status as Cleveland's everyday center fielder may change as the year goes on, dependent on performance, but for now he's surely penciled in as the starter. It is wise to temper our expectations with Martin though; he is returning from a pretty significant setback to his body, which may take longer to recover from than originally thought. Martin's prowess at the plate has never been his defining attribute but if he can hit to a league-average level from the bottom half of the lineup, then his overall contribution will be of immense value to the Indians, particularly when he costs just $3 million this year. His defensive contributions should validate his playing time alone.
2019 is essentially a second chance for Martin and his Indians career, after his brief and unfortunate start last August. The left-handed hitting Cuban is considered by most to be the consensus choice for the team's best outfielder, and in the absence of Michael Brantley (newly relocated to Houston), Martin will be essential if the Tribe harbor hopes of winning the AL Central for a fourth consecutive year.
No comments:
Post a Comment