Note: Fernando Martinez is Turning Heads
Yesterday, with Angel Pagan starting in center field, and Gary Matthews Jr. starting in left field, 20-year-old Fernando Martinez hit a go-ahead, three-run home run in the eighth inning.
To read more about Martinez’s day in Fort Myers, check out Ken Belson’s report for the New York Times.
In 26 at bats this spring, Martinez is hitting .538 with two doubles, three HR, 10 RBI and just three strike outs.
“That would be difficult, in all honesty,” Manuel told reporters, when asked if Martinez could get the starting job in center field. “The center field part is very important to us right now. We came in here with the mantra that we’re going to catch the baseball, play good defense, that type of thing, so we’ll see how that turns out. But right now, we have Gary and Angel slated for that spot.”
…in January, when news emerged that Carlos Beltran would start the season on the disabled list, the first thing i did was ask people if martinez would get the nod, and i was repeatedly told, ‘He’s not a center fielder,’ which would be less curious if he wasn’t always playing center field…
…the good news is that they’re all hitting and playing well… pagan looks good, as does martinez and matthews… i said last week, and the week before, i still think matthews could be traded… yesterday, WFAN’s Mike Francesa said he believes matthews will be traded for pitching, and that the Reds have interest… francesa is also obsessed with finding a way to get Bronson Arroyo to New York, so…
…however, francesa did paint another interesting scenario: what if the Mets start martinez, which mike feels is likely, and the kid does well… then, what happens when Carlos Beltran returns… would the Mets really demote martinez… or, would they move him to right field, and look to do something with Jeff Francoeur… to me, that will never happen, because they love frenchy… unless, of course, francoeur is struggling, which, let’s be honest, is possible…
…the point is, the Mets have options… they have options in center field… they have options in the bullpen and in the back of the rotation… go figure…
In a report for Newsday, Jim Baumbach talks about Martinez with Moises Alou, who was general manager of the team Martinez played on this past winter.
To see Martinez’s three-run home run, check out this video on MLB.com.
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