Kivlehan the player to be named in Martin trade
Rangers add prospect to complete deal that also brought in Wilhelmsen, Jones from Mariners
ARLINGTON -- The Rangers have acquired infielder/outfielder Patrick Kivlehan from the Mariners to complete last month's trade involving the two teams. The deal had outfielder Leonys Martin and pitcher Anthony Bass going to the Mariners for pitcher Tom Wilhelmsen, outfielder James Jones and a player to be named.
Kivlehan is a right-handed hitter who can play first base, third base and the outfield. He was a fourth-round pick in 2012 out of Rutgers University who played defensive back on the football team.
Kivlehan, the No. 5 prospect in the Mariners' organization according to MLB.com, spent last season playing at Triple-A Tacoma. In 123 games and 518 plate appearances, he hit .256 with 22 home runs, 73 RBIs, 14 stolen bases, a .313 on-base percentage and a .453 slugging percentage.
In four years in the Mariners' organization, Kivlehan played 294 games at third, 91 at first and 99 in the outfield. He gives the Rangers a candidate to be the right-handed hitter off the bench they have been looking for this offseason.
"We see him as a versatile right-handed power bat with strength and athleticism," Rangers pro scouting director Josh Boyd said. "A third baseman by trade, last year he played all three outfield spots plus first and third.
"The calls I've got from our scouts the last few years have had a very consistent theme, from Scott Littlefield to Ross Fenstermaker to Mike Grouse. They've let us know they love how he plays the game, they rave about his makeup and they feel he can be a productive, winning player."
Kivlehan played four years of football at Rutgers before joining the baseball team as a senior. He led the Big East with a .392 batting average, 14 home runs, 50 RBIs and 24 stolen bases in 51 games. He was the Big East Player of the Year.