Indians acquire Leonys Martin from Tigers

The Cleveland Indians Tuesday announced the following transactions relative to the Major League roster:

Acquired OF Leonys Martin and RHP Kyle Dowdy from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for INF Willi Castro.

Martίn has batted .251 (76-303) with 15 doubles, three triples, nine home runs, 29 RBI and 45 runs scored in 78 games for Detroit this season, his first with the Tigers. His nine home runs are his second-most in a single season, after hitting a career-high 15 longballs in 2016. He missed time, July 2-20, on the 10-day Disabled List with a left hamstring strain. His nine outfield assists this year for tops in the American League and his 228 outfield putouts are 2nd-most despite missing 14 games due to injury. Since the start of 2013, Martin’s 59 outfield assists are tied with Colorado’s Gerardo Parra for the 2nd-most in MLB.

The Villa Clara, Cuba native owns a career Major League batting average of .248 (565-for-2281) with 87 doubles, 22 triples, 47 home runs and 205 RBI in 699 games with Texas, Seattle, Chicago-NL and the Tigers. He has also stolen 122 bases in 161 attempts after defecting from Cuba and signing with the Rangers in 2011. He has finished in the top 10 in the American League in stolen bases and defensive Wins Above Replacement (WAR) three times over the course of his 8-year career.

Dowdy, 25, has been a member of the Tigers organization since is 12th-round selection out of the University of Houston in 2015. The 6-1 right-hander has posted an 8-8 record with a 4.74 ERA (50ER/95.0IP) in 24 appearances (14 starts) between Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo in 2018, fanning 92 batters in 95.0 innings this season (T5th among Detroit organizational pitchers). Dowdy was named a Midwest League (A) Mid-Season All-Star in 2016 and a Florida State League (High-A) Mid-Season All-Star in 2017. In 72 career appearances (52 starts) at the Minor League level, he owns a 3.77 ERA (141ER/336.2IP) with 299 strikeouts and 84 walks.

(Cleveland Indians press release)