I have heard that after extended Spring Training Martin is expected to go to Frisco. Has anyone heard whether the Rangers expect for him to be with the Big Club anytime this year or is it really a "we think he's only a AA player right now."? I haven't been following his story much, but figured if we're signing him to a 5 year, $15 million deal and he's 23 years old we're probably thinking he will contribute this year. Any thoughts from anyone?

i've heard his game is major league ready. i've heard the plan so far is to start him in single A to get him used to wooden bats (apparently cuban league uses aluminum). Theyre hoping he makes the adjustment and within a month or two can be moved to AA or AAA. depending on his success there they want him on the mlb roster sometime after the all star break.

alot of variables but i'm keeping my fingers crossed, cuz ive heard nothing but positives about this kid, and i hear he's a MAJOR baller

He will probable be a September call up unless he impresses. I'd expect him to be in Frisco in 2-4 weeks. His Dad & girl friend came to Texas before be signed. Cuban teams use wooden bats. Would think he need at lease 100+ AB in AA then go to AAA. So you'd have a September call up unless injuries or he's the real deal. The question I have is what happens to "Trashcan Beltre" once his 15 games are up. They both are in Surprise now.

Stew are you sure about the wooden bats. ive read in several sources that they were using aluminum bats and the biggest concern was his transition to wood..... could it have just been whatever league he was in? or could the diff articles i read both be mistaken? not doubting you, just wondering. cuz if he's already used to wood, i think he might be a pre all star game call up. ive really heard good things about this kid.

gotta give a lotta cred to JDs latin scouting team. They said they were gonna step it up and theyve done a tremendous job. dont forget we were originally in the running for chapman til he got to rich for a mlb owned team

I read several scouting reports a few weeks ago when all this 1st came up, & the scouts who had seen him were split. They said he had hit with wooden bats. Maybe all the international games he has played in is what they are referring to & not the Cuban league. The concerns I have are 1.) one of the reports said he was the 4th outfielder on the 09 Cuban team. If that is the case when did he become the starting centerfielder? 2.)Reports are he's a mid-level centerfielder with a weak bat. That's why it may take longer for him to advance. When has he faced Major League pitching? The biggest positive I've read is he has "BaseBall Instincts" something that Julio has zero. Either Joey or Adam(lone star ball) speculated it could be 2013 before he's ready.

"i've heard his game is major league ready."

Uh, no. Pitching in Cuba is nowhere near anything like MLB. He hit around .300 there, but most guys there do. He very well could hit .210 or .190 here, with a bunch of strikeouts and a few steals mixed in. Which is exactly what we're getting in Borbon now. They say his arm is better, though, so there's that.

Lots of people have compared him to Juan Pierre. If you think Juan Pierre is a "MAJOR BALLER" then start popping the champagne, cuz we got him! LOL

He's going to have to be seriously good to get shot up to Arlington anytime before September.

Don't be surprised if we don't see him at all until 2012, based simply off the fact that he really has never faced anything close to MLB quality pitchers. I really wouldn't be shocked if he kinda got eaten up a little bit in AAA before he figures it out.

@WWJDD

I think we can all agree that any one of us would take Juan Pierre over Borbon. regardles he's going to be better than that. i'm not sure what youre reading, or basing your opinion on, and i'm sure youre the baseball god of this forum, that aside, he's been rated as a potential 5 tool player. he has plus speed, good defense and instincts. He has an excellent arm and he has been rated as having excellent plate awareness and discipline. Is he gonna hit HR like hamilton of course not. Scouting reports ive read said he can hit to all sides of the field and has plus pull power when needed. they expect him to be a top of the order hitter. the rangers wouldnt spend that type of money on Juan Pierres doppleganger. Ironically they were saying he can be the type of guy that hits like MY (good average, 200 hits a season, 10-15 HR) and hold his own in CF.

but hell what do I know.

LOL I am definitely not the baseball god of this site. I'm just a guy who reads some stuff and has opinions about what I read, and who watches & enjoys baseball.

As far as tools, let's see - there's (1) power (2) speed (3) defense (4) arm and (5) average.

He definitely has (2) and (3) and (4), by all accounts, but I don't think anyone is suggesting this guy is going to have power, and like I mentioned, there is some concern about his ability to hit for average against mlb pitching. So that's a 3 tool OF, which is quite another thing altogether.

Who knows? He might be something great - but baseball history is littered with guys like this who don't do much, and who end up being 4th OFs.

That's all based on what I've read about him, at least. Hell - I hope you're right, man.

Ok, i'll concede. he's a 4-tool player. still good though. depends on what philosophy of baseball youre on whether power is the 5th tool. i'm of the school that average overrides power and the 5th tool being baseball IQ/Instincts.

Regardless, i'm telling you this guy is gonna be good. He's no Juan Pierre. I'm not saying he's gonna be the greatest CF of all time. But i am telling you that he'll be better than Borbon, Chavez, Beltre and Gentry. He has Adam Jones/Andrew McCutchen like potential. i might be hyping him up a little. but the kid can play. The rangers would not have paid what they did if JD wasnt certain this guys gonna succeed. So WWJDD? he goes to Cuba and finds us a M.F. Baller... thats what he do...

Time will tell, my friend. Time will tell.

speaking of though.... what would you be willing to give up for McCutchen. seriously underrated player on an awful team. maybe hurdle can hook us up! lol. i'd personally trade my left nut if it helped get McCutchen.

McCutchen, eh? Hmmm... I'd offer them Scheppers, Davis, Strop, and Borbon. If they threw in Hanrahan I'd also give them a Hurley. They'd laugh, and that would be that. Now, if they knew that they could also get your left nut, they might think about it a little.

it'd come in one of those nice sealable ball mason jars as well! Anyone know when his contract is up? there's no way he stays in Pittsburgh, however granderson's getting pretty old.... i have a feeling that might be where he would go.

It's nice to play fantasy baseball, but in reality, it's way too early for a team to start throwing stuff overboard. That tells the fans that they are acknowledging the season is over, and gives fans no reason to buy tickets and come to the game, which is death to the franchise. A trade made now is either going to be over spares, usually guys who get dumped and they don't want to lose them in waivers, or a blockbuster where teams exchange equally valuable players. Texas does have a good commodity in Napoli if one of the big spenders lost their DH for the season, for instance. But do you really want to trade Napoli to a team you might have to beat to get into the WS? And it would have to be a team that has what you need - which is going to be a hard match.

So like I said, I just don't think it's reasonable to think it's going to happen right now. Those are my feelings, for what they're worth.

Yeah i here ya... but there are still those teams that know theyre not gonna win now, and so do the fans. We were once in that position. So youre willing to give up a little for some youth. And ppl still go to games for love of the game. Just look at the attendance for any Pirates, TB, Royals,Nationals,Astros, Marlins, Oakland, etc game. Most of the time they dont even top 10k in attendance. Heck the Rangers right now are averaging over 20k a weeknight. its a good feeling.

McCutchen is one of their young core players, so it would take a lot to get him...also, being so young I would think he has at least 3 or 4 years of team control, making him even more expensive via trade. Also, there has been talk of a long term deal with him, so I doubt they even want to listen to offers at this point.
He's a turning into a great player, but realistically, we now have 3 solid candidates to lock down the CF job in the near future and I would put my money on one of them getting it done by this time next season. If more than one looks good in the Majors, then look to deal the lesser of the two (or three if everything turns out as good as possible) in a package for an Ace during the winter or by the 2012 trade deadline.

Ok - nice chatting with you aggie - I'm going to go turn the game on now. Go Rangers!

Juan Pierre hasn't logged more than 18 games in CF since 2007. He's a COF.

He came up as a CF, though. They are saying this guy is good defensively, so maybe he'll turn into something more than Pierre - guess we'll have to wait and see.

Look - here's all I am trying to say. You have to look past the hype at least a little. Remember when we got Engel Beltre and everyone was gushing that HE was the big acquisition of that season, because he was going to be this bonafide 5 tool OF in a few years? Well look where he is now. Of course the team is amped about Martin, and they are gushing about his potential. But like I said above, I've been a baseball fan for too long to fall into the trap that every guy with potential is going to be a star in the MLB. I would venture to say that more often than not it DOESN'T pan out. So I am tempering my enthusiasm at the moment.

@ WWJDD
I am definitely with you about not getting too hyped up about prospects before they have even proven themselves. I have made that mistake too many times before.
I think the one big difference between Martin and Beltre is makeup. It seemed pretty clear from the early goings that the biggest obstacle between Beltre and advancing through the system was going to be his attitude, and we have seen that multiple times the last few seasons. The way JD and others have spoken about Martin is what really makes me tingle with excitement. They talk about his intelligence (I have to assume this is mostly on the field, but I would also assume some of it translates to off the field decisions as well) and how he has a good make up and aptitude.

On a side note, I am really hoping they assign him to AA soon so I will have a chance to go see him while I have some free time.