UPDATE: The "player to be named later" in the deal is infielder Patrick Kivlehan, who was sent to the Rangers on Wednesday to complete the Nov. 16 trade with the Mariners.
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There will be no shortage of trades this MLB offseason. The Seattle Mariners made their third trade in just over a week and acquired outfielder Leonys Martin from the Texas Rangers on Monday.
Texas sent Martin and right-hander Anthony Bass to Seattle in exchange for right-handed reliever Tom Wilhelmsen, outfielder James Jones and a player to be named later.
#Mariners acquire OF Leonys Martin & RHP Anthony Bass from Texas in exchange for RHP Tom Wilhelmsen, OF James Jones & PTBNL.
— MarinersPR (@MarinersPR) November 16, 2015
The Rangers have acquired RHP Tom Wilhelmsen, OF James Jones, and a PTBNL from Seattle for RHP Anthony Bass and OF Leonys Martin.
— John Blake (@RangerBlake) November 16, 2015
Martin, 27, is the headliner in this deal. The outfielder endured his worst MLB season in 2015 after batting .219/.264/.313 with 26 runs scored, 5 home runs, 25 RBI and 14 stolen bases in 95 games. Martin lost the starting center field job to Delino DeShields Jr. and then underwent hand surgery in late August.
The Rangers had no need for a second center fielder, especially one entering his first year of arbitration this offseason.
"New bench coach Tim Bogar, who was bench coach and interim manager for the Rangers in 2014, and outfielder Nelson Cruz both speak highly of Martin from their time with him in Texas," writes Greg Johns of MLB.com.
Martin helps improves the athleticism in the Mariners' outfield, which general manager Jerry Dipoto said was his goal a few weeks ago.
The M's also received Bass in the deal. The 28-year-old has spent five MLB seasons with the Rangers, Houston Astros and San Diego Padres. He's 5-9 with a 4.40 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 187 strikeouts in 129 games (18 starts), totaling 278 1/3 innings.
The big name going to Texas is Tom Wilhelmsen, who owns a 2.97 ERA and 1.19 WHIP with 294 strikeouts in 267 career games (five MLB seasons), totaling 312 1/3 innings. The 31-year-old right-hander also has 67 career saves and served as Seattle's closer from 2012-2013. He's entering his second year of arbitration eligibility this offseason.
"We are getting a guy we have seen up close and personal for a number of years," Rangers general manager Jon Daniels told T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com. "It's a unique story, but he has been one of the better back-end bullpen guys in the game. He gives us some depth in a power bullpen. We really like how that sets up."
They'll also get James Jones in the trade. The 27-year-old made his MLB debut in 2014 and logged 108 games, but had a much more limited role in 2015 and played in only 28 contests.
Seattle bolstered their outfield and the Rangers added to their already deep bullpen. Dipoto took advantage of a buy-low candidate in Martin while Daniels moved a player the team didn't need and enhanced an existing strength.
We'll be keeping updates on the player to be named later.
