Mariners welcome back old friend
On Friday the Mariners signed an old friend as a non roster invitee. Leonys Martin is back in Seattle.
If you like the “Good Vibes Only” approach that Eugenio Suárez brings to the Mariners, you will love Leonys Martín. Martín spent the better part of two seasons in Seattle and his reputation as a fan favorite exploded.
Following his stint in Seattle he spent time with three other big league clubs before settling for a move to Japan’s Chiba Lotte Marines. In 340 games in Japan, the left handed outfielder slashed .220/.350/.461 and cracked 75 home runs over the course of four seasons.
On Thursday afternoon Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times dropped a huge surprise, that the 34 year old outfielder was coming home.
This deal was shocking and exciting for many Mariner fans because Martín literally nobody knew he was attempting to come back to the United States to play. Players who spend more than a few seasons overseas rarely seem to return to the MLB, but in this case, the outfielder will get a chance to earn a spot on the Seattle roster.
His 2016 season was one of the most fun of the last 10 seasons, posting 3.4 fWAR and helping lead the Mariners to an 86 win season. His WRC+ was 89 on the season, but he played elite defense in center field and was a tremendous baserunner.
In addition to his defense, the outfielder cracked two of the most clutch home runs of that season. His home run against Ryan Madson of the Oakland A’s is one of my all-time favorite baseball memories, launching a changeup into the Seattle night for a walk-off home run.
In addition to his play on the field, the person that is Leonys Martín is incredibly easy to root for. His teammates once hired a mariachi band to follow him around Spring Training for his birthday because they love him so much.
His laugh and personality were contagious, and he was as important to the Seattle clubhouse as any player in recent history.
Martín also dealt with a life-threatening blood infection during his time in Cleveland and nearly lost his life. After battling through all of this and spending time in Japan, Martín has returned home.
So could he make the team? Nobody really knows what the team has in mind with this signing, but they clearly love the player and the person. It will be extremely interesting to watch him in Peoria and see how he looks.
If he doesn’t make the roster he could either spend time in Tacoma until he is needed or join the organization. Many believe Seattle would love to add the 34 year old to their organization as a roving instructor once his playing career is over.
Whatever the case may be, Leonys is back in the navy and teal. Welcome back old friend!