Dodgers Rumors: Chris Martin an unorthodox trade target for LA

The Dodgers have done a great job of finding under the radar relievers under Andrew Friedman.  Chris Martin fits the bill as another sneaky good trade target.

It’s become a daily routine leading up the trade deadline, but the Dodgers have been linked to another pair of relievers.  This time it’s Jose Leclerc and Chris Martin of the Texas Rangers.  Leclerc is a known commodity around baseball but Chris Martin is not.  Martin is exactly the type of reliever that Andrew Friedman has been known to acquire.

Chris Martin turned down opportunities to be drafted and pitched two seasons of junior college ball at McLennan Community College.  After suffering a torn labrum, he decided to give up on his big-league dreams.  Three years later he tried pitching again and ended up playing independent league baseball and was signed by the Red Sox.

After a minor league stint with Boston, Chris Martin was traded to the Rockies.  The trade was followed by two unsuccessful seasons with the Rockies and Yankees and Martin’s big league career once again appeared to be at a crossroad.

The Yankees sold Martin’s rights to the Nippon Ham Fighters and Chris really put it together over in Japan posting a 1.07 ERA with 21 saves in the 2016 season.  The Ham Fighters resigned Martin for the 2017 season but he made his way back to the big leagues signing a two-year contract with the Rangers worth four million dollars.

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Last season, Chris Martin had an average season with the Texas Rangers but this season he has put it together once again, this time in the Majors.  In 2019, Martin has a 3.16 ERA and 1.00 WHIP across 37 innings of relief.  He has stranded a stellar 93% of the runners he has inherited and limited the opposition to a .246 average.

What kind of stuff would Martin bring out of the bullpen if the Dodgers acquired him?  He throws a fastball (96 MPH), sinker (96 MPH), cutter (92 MPH), slider (87 MPH), and a splitter (90 MPH).  Chris Martin has induced nearly 50% of his outs via the ground ball this season and has been better against left-handed hitters limiting them to a .212 average.

If the Dodgers were to acquire Chris Martin, he would be a rental as he becomes a free agent after this season.  Martin only makes 2.25 million this season so he is one of the cheapest relievers on the market from a financial standpoint.

It’s been an interesting journey back to relevance for Chris Martin and he would be another sneaky good reliever acquisition for Andrew Friedman.  Martin is just another name to watch as the Dodgers get closer to the trade deadline.