SEATTLE -- Of the multitude of moves made last year by Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto, perhaps the best was the acquisition of Leonys Martin from the Rangers to solidify Seattle's center-field situation.
Martin had lost favor -- and his starting role -- in Texas, but Mariners manager Scott Servais knew the Cuban standout from his days as the Rangers' farm director and Dipoto felt he'd be the perfect fit for a club looking to get more athletic and defensive-minded in the outfield.
The Mariners gave up reliever Tom Wilhelmsen and young outfielders James Jones and Patrick Kivlehan to acquire Martin, but wound up getting both Wilhelmsen and Kivlehan back from Texas, while Jones was converted to a pitcher by the Rangers before hurting his arm midway through the season.