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Should the Texas Rangers keep Leonys Martin?

By David Cash

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Hot Stove season is well underway and players are already starting to shuffle around to different clubs.  One name that’s being tossed around is Texas Rangers center fielder Leonys Martin.  He was once considered one of the best up and coming defensive players for the Rangers.  He had a very good 2013 and 2014 season, but he started to drop off during the second half of the 2014 season.

Martin and Washington has several conversions about is struggles and he commented back then and said

"“I’ve got to improve on my bunting, on running the bases, on all the small things,” Martin said recently through an interpreter. “I’m not worried about hitting the ball. I have to have better mental focus. You can’t let up. I have to stay focused better. I have two months to get better.” – Evan Grant (Dallas News)"

He occasionally had issues in the outfield when calling for fly balls because the other players couldn’t hear him very well.   Sometimes there were questions about his effort, but often then Texas Rangers manager would support his player.

This season Leonys Martin plate discipline and defensive issues continued.  To compound issues he was fighting for what was his job against center fielder Delino DeShields who proved to be a defensive and offensive stud. In Leonys Martin’s defensive I believe he is still a very good player with one heck of an arm.  He quickly was known for throwing out base runners from the outfield.  Base runners had to think twice before trying to tag up and advance to third.  Often times he’d throw them out, which was beautiful.

During the 2015 season Leonys Martin was optioned to the minors in August and ended up playing a majority there.  He did return for a few games near the end of the season and was supposed to report the Arizona Instructional League to prepare for an opportunity if needed to play in the postseason.  But, reportedly he was upset that he was left off the Rangers ALDS series roster and decided to not show up for his assignment.

So should the Rangers keep Leonys Martin?  If they didn’t have Delino DeShields the answer would be yes.  He still has a good strong arm to throw them out from the outfield.  He’s proven he has a good bat and with some work that can return.  But, the Texas Rangers do have an amazing center fielder who the Texas Rangers have locked up through the 2021 season.  Other teams will still see some value in Martin.  That means the Rangers could trade him in return for possibly a much needed lefty or someone in the bullpen.

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