The Kansas City T-Bones have acquired infielder Dylan Tice, and right-handed pitcher, and former big leaguer Cody Martin via a trade from Sugarland in the Atlantic League. They also traded outfielder Dillon Thomas to Texas in exchange for a player to be named later.
The trade with Sugarland completes an earlier deal between the two clubs, according to the T-Bones.
Dylan Tice comes to Kansas City following an All-Star season where he hit .327 for the Rockland Boulders of the CAN-AM League. Tice was tied for the team lead in batting average and finished fifth overall in the circuit at the plate. He added four home runs and 49 RBIs while scoring 72 runs. His 122 hits were good for fifth in the league, and he led the Boulders and the CAN-AM with 32 stolen bases. The Boulders traded Tice to Sugarland on Feb. 26.
Tice was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 36th round of the 2015 MLB Draft out of West Chester University of Pennsylvania. He spent parts of two seasons with the Cardinals organization, reaching high A Palm Beach in the Florida State League in 2016. In 40 games he hit .288 with a homer and 18 RBIs in 2016.
Tice spent eight games at low A Peoria in the Midwest League, hitting a home run and driving in six runs in 35 at bats, and he spent another 20 games at short season A State College in the New York-Penn League with two long balls, 10 RBIs and a .281 batting average. Tice spent 41 games following the 2015 draft with the Cardinals Gulf Coast League club. He hit .280 with one home run and 22 RBIs in his rookie season.
Cody Martin brings parts of three seasons in the Major Leagues to the T-Bones, the most recent being the 2017 season. He appeared in one game for the Seattle Mariners last season and another 20 games at AAA Tacoma in the Pacific Coast League. In the PCL Martin went 0-2 with a save, posting a 4.29 ERA in 56.2 innings for the Rainiers.
In 2016 Martin worked 25.2 innings for the Mariners going 1-2 in 25.2 innings in nine games, including two starts and a 3.86 ERA. For Tacoma Martin went 10-7 with a 3.62 ERA in 114.1 innings, adding 114 strike outs in 2016.
A native of Dos Palos, California, Martin was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 7th round on the MLB June draft out of Gonzaga University. He climbed through the Braves system eventually making his Major League debut on April 7, 2015, for Atlanta in a 12-2 Braves win over the Miami Marlins.
Martin worked two scoreless innings while striking out four. Martin made the Big League club out of spring training in 2015 and was optioned back to AAA on May 19th but not before he picked up his first Major League win on April 17 at Toronto, working a scoreless seventh inning of relief in an 8-7 win for Atlanta.
Martin was recalled on June 1 and appeared in 21 games for Atlanta, posting a 5.40 ERA in 2015, going 2-3 in 21.2 innings. On July 2 the Braves traded Martin to the Oakland Athletics where he was assigned to AAA Nashville. He went 4-4 with the Sounds, tossing 60 innings while making 11 starts with a 5.10 ERA and 58 strike outs.
Oakland summoned Martin to the Big Leagues on Sept. 2 where he made two starts and appeared in four games overall. In nine innings he was charged with two losses while striking out three.
Martin spent all of 2014 at AAA Gwinnett, notching a 7-8 record and pitching a career high 156.1 innings for the Braves, posting a 3.52 ERA. He split time between AAA and AA Mississippi in 2013. For the M-Braves Martin worked 67 innings with a 2.82 ERA and 71 strike outs while going 3-3. With Gwinnett he tossed 69.2 innings, going 3-4 with a 3.49 ERA.
Martin won a career high 12 games at high A Lynchburg in the Carolina League in 2012 with a 2.93 ERA in 107.1 innings of work. Martin began his pro career with the Braves in 2011, sharing time between rookie level Danville in the Appalachian League and low A Rome in the South Atlantic. In both stops combined, he went 1-0 in 22 games of relief with nine saves and a 1.08 ERA.
Dillon Thomas was acquired by the T-Bones on March 19 after spending seven seasons in the Colorado Rockies organization, reaching AAA in 2017. Thomas was the Rockies 4th round pick in the 2011 MLB draft out of Westbury Christian School in Houston, Texas.
With these moves, the T-Bones roster stands at 27. Per American Association rules, Kansas City can carry 28 players into spring training, which is set to begin at T-Bones Stadium, the first exhibition game against the Lees Summit Monarchs at 7:05 p.m. on May 8.
Season, group, mini-plans and nightly party suites are on sale and can be purchased by visiting the Box Office at T-Bones Stadium. Call the Box Office at 913-328-5618 or purchase and print at www.tbonesbaseball.com. Box office hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday – Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
Home opening night is May 22 when the T-Bones play host to Gary SouthShore at T-Bones Stadium at 7:05 p.m.
