Martinez is all smiles for the Squirrels
JULY 1: The 145th overall pick in the inaugural BARB
draft (2003), Victor Martinez was a stalwart at and behind the plate for Andrew
Haynes’ Santa Barbara Storm/Frostbite Falls Flying Squirrels for nine years.
Martinez missed the 2012 season with an injury before signing with the
Brownsville Cutters for 2013-14. Now, he is headed back to northern Minnesota
to try to resurrect the dormant bats of his old franchise.
The trade came about in an
unconventional way. Rather than the “buyers” seeking out players on
second-division teams, the Brown brothers approached Haynes first. With the
prospect of Martinez sending line drives to all parts of every field in the
second half, multiple general managers had made plays for the aging star. However,
there was but one goal in the sights of Kory and Kyle Brown: Manny Machado.
“We apologize for being somewhat
unresponsive” with other offers for Martinez, Kory Brown said. “We didn’t want
to lead on other teams and ultimately had to focus all of our efforts on
getting this deal done. Third base was a big need for us and we were able to
address it in a big way.
“The completion of this trade really
brightens the future of the Brownsville franchise. Our hope is that Machado and
Jose Abreu will man the corners while Starlin Castro and Javier Baez can play
up the middle. This infield combination with our star-studded (pre-Tommy John)
pitching staff will be quite the duo going forward.”
Brown proceeded to pull up a presentation
of the Cutters’ future roster:
STARTING PITCHING: Jose Fernandez, Matt Moore, Jonathan Gray, Danny
Dunny, Tyler Kolek, Danny Hultzen, Kyle Zimmer, Kyle Crick, C.J. Edwards,
Shohei Otani
RELIEVERS: Trevor Rosenthal, Bruce Rondon, Mike Montgomery
INFIELD: Abreu, Machado, Baez, Castro, Evan Gattis
OUTFIELD: George Springer, Kole Calhoun, Courtney Hawkins
As he rose to leave the press
conference, Kory Brown gave his parting shot: “I envision our team making it to
the playoffs as early as next season.”
The trade wasn’t just about Machado and
Martinez. Brownsville knew from the start that the young hotshot was worth more
than a likely rent-a-player. So the Cutters gave Frostbite two lists of
prospects to choose from the compliment Martinez. Haynes chose two young
pitchers who, when they join the Squirrels, will have an immediate impact. For now,
though, because of salary considerations, they are staying with the Cutters. In
addition, minor league catcher Rob Brantly was dealt to Brownsville to keep
Frostbite under the cap.
In Martinez, the Flying Squirrels bring
back one of their greats. In helping lead the franchise to five World Series
titles, Martinez hit .278 with 82 HR and 437 RBI.
So far in 2014, the defending champions
are struggling. At seven games under .500 and 14.5 games back in the division
at the start of play on July 1, many inside and outside the organization have
been debating whether the team would pack it in and shoot for 2015.
“This should end that talk,” Haynes
said. “We have been underperforming, and everyone on the team knows it. Whether
it’s the starters getting blown out early, the hitters failing in clutch
situations or the relievers getting tagged late, it just hasn’t come together.
“Frankly, we know we could have waited a
bit longer and tested the waters with some of our veterans before choosing a
side. But I have been looking for bats to bring our lineup around, and when the
Browns offered Martinez I jumped on it. We absolutely expect Manny to be a star
for a long time in the league, but at this point he hasn’t developed to the
point where he can help us win in the near future. We wish him all the best.”
OTHER NEWS:
In a minor deal for infield depth, the
Central-leading St. Francis Kansans acquired Jed Lowrie from the New England
Yankee Stompers. LaTroy Hawkins was also on the plane to the Midwest, while New
England received Wilmer Flores, Heath Hembree, Andrew Miller and a player to be
named.
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