Seattle Mariners Executive Vice President & General Manager of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto announced today that the club has agreed to terms with outfielder Leonys Martin on a 2016 contract, avoiding arbitration. Per club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.
 
By agreeing to terms with Martin, the Mariners have two remaining arbitration-eligible players, left-handed pitcher Charlie Furbush and right-handed pitcher Evan Scribner.
 
Martin, 27, hit .219 (63x288) with 26 runs, 12 doubles, 5 home runs, 25 RBI and 14 stolen bases in 95 games with Texas last season. His season was interrupted when he suffered a hamate fracture on his right hand on Aug. 13 while with AAA Round Rock. He underwent surgery on Aug. 26 to remove the hamate bone. Martin was activated from the minor league disabled list and recalled to Texas on Sept. 20, appearing in one game the remainder of the season.
 
Over the last three seasons (2013-15), Martin ranks 4th in the Majors among center fielders in defensive runs saved (44) behind the Mets Juan Lagares (56), Royals Lorenzo Cain (49) and Astros Carlos Gomez (46).
 
In his previous two full seasons (2013-14), combined to hit .268 (265x990) with 134 runs, 34 doubles, 13 triples, 15 home runs, 89 RBI and 67 stolen bases in 302 games with the Rangers. His 81 stolen bases over the last three seasons (2013-2015) rank 6th in the American League. During his career he has appeared at all three outfield positions, playing center field (393 G, 333 GS), right field (21 G, 11 GS) and left field (10 G, 6 GS).
 
Leonys defected from Cuba in the late summer of 2010 and established residency in Mexico before signing with the Texas organization. During his career in Cuba, he played five seasons with Villa Clara in the Serie Nacional Cuban League, where he hit .314 (417x1329) with 329 runs, 62 doubles, 1 triple and 38 home runs.