Lefty hoping winding road leads to a job
MESA, Ariz. — Back before free agency, many baseball players worked second jobs in the offseason. With bigger contracts and year-round training, that’s less common now, but this spring, the A’s have a part-time construction worker in camp.
Left-hander Jarret Martin, his baseball career adrift after shoulder surgery in 2014, played independent ball in Sussex, N.J., and Ottawa in 2015, then he went to work digging ditches for his family’s construction company in Bakersfield.
“It was really therapeutic, getting out there changing my goals, changing my mind-set,” Martin said at Hohokam Stadium. “Every morning, 6 a.m., I’d be out there in a bright orange T-shirt and a hardhat.”
Every few days that same winter, he got up at 3 a.m. to drive to Los Angeles to work with pitching guru Tom House, now best known for his work with many of the NFL’s top quarterbacks.
“I still had baseball hopes in my mind,” Martin said. “I worked with him all offseason going into 2016, and revamped myself. It was more of a mindset and mechanical thing. He kicked my butt, and then in January, I paid to play in the Palm Springs winter league, which is for non-drafted players, a showcase league, but I needed the innings.
“I was the oldest guy there and by far the most experienced; everyone else was just out of college or released from rookie ball looking for another shot.”
Martin, 28, returned to independent ball, playing for York, Pa., in the Atlantic League. “A month in, I got on a little roll and I got a phone call from the Mets,” Martin said. “They say, ‘Hey, we want to sign you,’ and I thought, ‘This is the greatest day. I’m getting back in!’ About five minutes into that conversation, I’m literally still on the phone and my manager comes in and says, ‘Hey, I’ve got the Giants on the line.’
“It’s hard enough getting signed out of independent ball, and I’ve got two calls at the same exact time. I was on a plane the next day.”
Martin chose the Giants and went 4-2 with a 2.04 ERA at Double-A Richmond, Va., striking out 40 in 391⁄3 innings and allowing only 22 hits — but walking 30.
A’s general manager David Forst, intrigued, sent pitching coach Scott Emerson and minor-league instructor Gil Patterson video of Martin to get their input, and they thought they had some ideas about how to address his control issues.
“He’s had a nontraditional path,” Forst said. “A kid with a great arm, always threw hard but always had control issues, so I wanted to know what mechanical things we might do. Jarret was interested in hearing from teams what they might do with him, so we’re excited to see some of the adjustments he’s made.”
Emerson said Tuesday that the plan is to turn Martin from a “thrower into a glorified thrower — simplify the delivery and make sure he’s not as predictable.” Emerson said Martin doesn’t throw his slider much, but it’s a good pitch Emerson would like to see Martin use more often.
Martin will do whatever it takes. He’s eager to find a place to call home after bouncing around four organizations, two independent leagues and a showcase league. And in the meantime, he can serve as an inspiration for young players in Bakersfield.
“I coach kids in my hometown and I tell them, ‘Anything can happen,’ ” Martin said. “‘I was digging trenches in a bright orange T-shirt and reflector vest and now I’m going to big-league spring training.’ ” Mateo slowed: Jorge Mateo, one of the A’s most promising prospects, will not get as many at-bats early in the spring as the team had hoped because of a lingering knee problem.
Mateo sprained the ligament in his left knee during winter ball and is still having some minor issues, particularly when it comes to decelerating. The shortstop is considered the fastest player in Oakland’s system, so running is a crucial part of his game; he’ll be held out of Cactus League action at least initially but he is participating in most of the team’s on-field work, including hitting.
“The issue he has is slowing down — and he gets going pretty fast,” A’s manager Bob Melvin said Tuesday morning at Fitch Park. “This time of spring, we’re going to be conservative, especially with a guy like him.”
Mateo, who was obtained in the Sonny Gray deal with the Yankees last summer, was not a roster consideration to open this season, but Melvin had been looking forward to seeing a lot of him before minorleague camp opens. Baseball America recently ranked him Oakland’s No. 3 prospect, behind left-hander A.J. Puk and second baseman Franklin Barreto.
“I wanted to get him a lot of at-bats here early in spring,” said Melvin, who also had planned to get a look at Mateo in center field if possible. “We’ve been talking about our athleticism and (Dustin) Fowler and Mateo are two key guys with that . ... Not to have a guy a guy we were going to look at extensively and maybe our most athletic guy, it’s a little disappointing. But we have to be careful with him.”