Martin arrives at camp ready to play

February 23rd, 2017

PEORIA, Ariz. - Center fielder finally arrived at Mariners camp Wednesday with the usual smile on his face, ready to focus on baseball again after a delayed start to his Spring Training.
Martin was called to testify on Tuesday in a federal trial in Miami for his former agent Bartolo Hernandez and trainer Julio Estrada, who are accused of conspiracy and running a smuggling operation that brought a dozen Cuban players to America.
Martin recounted some difficult stories during the trial, but chose not to re-live that experience now that he's done with his testimony.
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"You know, it's something that happened in the past," he said. "I don't want to go over it. I just want to throw it away and focus on baseball right now. It gave me a little bit of stress. This case has been out there for a little bit. It was a tough process for me and my family. I hope this gets over real soon."

The rest of life is far happier now for the 28-year-old, who solidified Seattle's outfield defense last year and hit .247 with a career-best 15 homers and also led the Mariners with 24 stolen bases after being acquired from the Rangers in a trade.
Martin missed the first three days of full-squad workouts, but arrived in time to take his physical and be on the field for most of Wednesday's session. It didn't take long for his presence to be felt.
"He's a big part of what we do here," manager Scott Servais said. "The personality and life he brings to the clubhouse, he's already yelling and screaming at guys, and guys are screaming back at him. Everybody is back in their comfort zone."
Martin says he lost 10 pounds this offseason and is looking to be part of Seattle's improved running game with the addition of and . Martin spent some time in the Dominican hitting with as well.
"I want to get better," he said. "Last year was good. I hit 15 homers, but that's not part of my game. I want to stay focused on my part. I have to know what kind of player I am and stay in my game, get my on-base a little bit higher and try to steal 30-40 bases.
"I don't go to bat thinking about hitting three homers. I try to create situations for my team and the big boys behind me. That's what I am going to be focused on this year."
With Martin's arrival, the Mariners now have all 62 players in camp.