According to MLB Trade Rumors, Leonys Martin has switched agencies. The Mariners center fielder will now be represented by Wasserman via a tweet from the agency.
Martin is 28 and was signed by the Texas Rangers in 2011 as an amateur free agent and made his MLB debut in 2011. He is currently signed through 2016 on a 1 year, $4.15 million deal. The agency switch for Martin will come on the brink of his second trip through the arbitration process. He now stands to earn a raise over that figure for the 2017 season, as MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him to earn $6.3MM next year. The Mariners can control him through the 2018 season.
Back in February, Martin’s former agent Bart Hernandez was arrested for human trafficking related to smuggling Martin from Cuba. The bond for Hernandez was set for $300,000 on the condition he surrendered his passport, according to Jeff Passan. According to Michael Bradburn of SB Nation “This brings to light one of the darkest sides of professional baseball. Furthermore, it seems to show a systematic way for corrupt agents to leverage their clients while they are in one of the most desperate positions of their career”.