The Dodgers have made one of many first bullpen pickups of be aware previous to Tuesday’s commerce deadline, asserting Saturday that they’ve acquired right-hander Chris Martin from the Cubs in change for infielder/outfielder Zach McKinstry.
Martin, 36, is taking part in the 2022 season on a one-year, $2.5MM contract he signed as a free agent this winter. His deal comes with $750K value of incentives, paid out within the type of a $100K bonus for reaching every of 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60 appearances, plus $125K for spending 40 and 90 days on the lively roster.
Martin has already appeared in 34 video games and logged 31 1/3 innings of 4.31 ERA ball this season, though fielding-independent metrics are much more bullish (3.02 FIP, 2.09 SIERA). Martin has been uncharacteristically homer-prone this 12 months however has maintained his elite command of the strike zone. He’s punched out 30.1% of his opponents to this point and walked simply 4 of the 133 batters he’s confronted (3.1%). A type of free passes was of the intentional selection, it needs to be famous, and Martin has additionally but to hit a batter this season.
The towering 6’8″ Martin is among the extra notable abroad success tales lately. After a nondescript run with the Rockies and Yankees in 2014-15, he signed with Japan’s Nippon-Ham Fighters and tore by NPB lineups over a superb two-year stint there. He signed with the Rangers for the 2018 marketing campaign and, after a pedestrian first season again in MLB has solidified himself as a high quality late-inning reliever. Over the previous 4 seasons, Martin touts a 3.46 ERA with a 26.5% strikeout fee and an impeccable 3% stroll fee. Among the many 431 pitchers who’ve thrown at the least 100 massive league innings in that point, Martin’s stroll fee is the second-lowest within the sport (narrowly trailing former teammate Josh Tomlin’s 2.9% mark).
Martin will give supervisor Dave Roberts some reinforcement in what’s been a usually sturdy but additionally very injury-plagued aid corps. Dodgers relievers rank sixth within the Majors with s 3.37 ERA, however they’ve misplaced Daniel Hudson for the season (torn ACL), aren’t clear when Blake Treinen (shoulder) will return, and now have every of Brusdar Graterol, Victor Gonzalez and Tommy Kahnle on the injured record at current.
In return for his or her one-year funding in Martin, the Cubs will purchase as many as 5 extra seasons of management over the 27-year-old McKinstry, who made his debut with the 2020 Dodgers and has been an up-and-down utility possibility in L.A. since that point. A lefty hitter with expertise at second base, third base, shortstop and all three outfield spots (albeit simply 18 innings in heart), McKinstry has posted only a .210/.266/.403 batting line within the massive leagues. That’s are available in a tiny pattern of 193 plate appearances, nonetheless, and he’s been excellent throughout his time on the Triple-A stage.
McKinstry, a former Thirty third-round decide, has logged 489 plate appearances with Triple-A Oklahoma Metropolis in components of three seasons and put collectively an enormous .323/.401/.550. The Pacific Coast League is a recognized hitters’ haven, however McKinstry has nonetheless been nicely above league-average on a fee foundation and racked up a formidable 18 house runs, 25 doubles and 9 triples there. He’s fanned in simply 15.7% of his plate appearances and walked at a ten.8% clip as nicely.
Whereas McKinstry probably profiles extra as a utility participant than a starter on the massive league stage, there’s at the least an opportunity he might hit sufficient to be an everyday at second base — his greatest defensive place. If not, he’ll give the Cubs somebody to bounce across the diamond as a invaluable position participant for the foreseeable future. McKinstry shall be out of minor league choices subsequent season, so he ought to obtain ample alternative ahead of later.
ESPN’s Buster Olney first reported that Martin had been traded to the Dodgers (Twitter link). Patrick Mooney of The Athletic first reported that McKinstry was headed to the Cubs in return (Twitter link).
