Angels Claim Trevor Martin

The Angels have claimed right-hander Trevor Martin off waivers from the Rays. He has been optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake. The Angels had a free spot on their 40-man roster, so no corresponding move was necessary.

Martin, 25, made his MLB debut for Tampa Bay earlier this year. In six outings for the Rays, the righty gave up eight runs (five earned) over 11 1/3 innings. He struck out seven, walked four, hit two batters, and allowed four home runs. Martin averaged 95 mph on his four-seam and induced whiffs against his heater at a near-40% rate. Yet, he didn’t miss enough bats with his other pitches, and when his opponents hit him, they hit him hard.

Overall, Martin has had much more success missing bats and limiting hard contact at Triple-A, where he’s posted a 25% strikeout rate and 26.2% hard-hit rate this season. However, he had a handful of rough outings for the Durham Bulls in July and August. Those struggles, plus his disappointing major league numbers, were enough for the Rays to decide they needed a 40-man roster spot more than they needed their third-round pick from 2022. They designated Martin for assignment earlier this week.

It’s not surprising a team like L.A. quickly put in a claim. Martin has flashed impressive stuff in his minor league career, but his secondary pitches need refining. There aren’t many benefits to having the worst record in the majors, but the Angels can afford to keep Martin on their 40-man while he matures at Triple-A. They can also afford to give him another shot in the majors without worrying about the results.