River Avenue Blues

River Ave. Blues » Russell Martin » Page 13

Yankees offer Martin one-year deal

by 142 Comments

Via Mark Feinsand, the Yankees have offered Russell Martin a one-year contract, though the money is unknown. Any team that signs the free agent backstop will be able to retain his services in 2012 as an arbitration-eligible player, so just about every team interested will offer him that one year. Yesterday we heard that they were taking an “aggressive approach” in these talks, so the Yanks are clearly looking for a little insurance should Jesus Montero have a difficult time adjusting to the big leagues.

I’m really interested in seeing what happens here, because signing Martin would create quite a few options for the Yankees as far as trades go. Not necessarily Montero either, it could be Frankie Cervelli or Austin Romine as well.

Olney: Yanks going hard after Martin

by 132 Comments

The Yankees, says Buster Olney via Twitter, are going hard after Russell Martin. The club is “now taking an aggressive approach” in conversations with the recently non-tendered former Dodger backstop. Olney says the fight for Martin is between the Yankees and the Red Sox with others lurking on the periphery.

According to previous reports, the Yanks view Martin as a potential starting catcher which speaks volumes of the club’s assessment of Jesus Montero’s defensive capabilities. Last Friday, the Bombers nearly traded Francisco Cervelli to the Dodgers for Martin, but the deal fell through at the last minute. While his would be a small signing, Martin could play a decent role on the 2011 Yanks if he makes it to New York.

A bidding war for a backstop

by 70 Comments

Russell Martin in his younger and more valuable days. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

As the arms race between New York and Boston has been kicked up a notch over the last 12 hours, the two rivals are reportedly engaged in a bidding war. According to Yahoo! Sports’ Tim Brown, both the Yanks and Red Sox are “going very hard on Russell Martin.” The recently non-tendered 27-year-old is an appealing target for two teams who are soft at the catching position, and a Martin deal could be a key low-cost signing for 2011.

For both teams, Martin is a very obvious target. Right now, the Red Sox’s starting catcher is Jarrod Saltalamacchia who played just 12 games in 2010. Saltalamacchia, 25, was a heralded prospect with the Braves, but he’s never caught more than 83 games in a season and has a career OPS+ of 82. A 38-year-old Jason Varitek is the back-up.

The Yanks are in a similar boat. They’re apparently entrusting the starting job to Jesus Montero, questionable defense and all, and the team has clearly soured on Francisco Cervelli as a back-up. Jorge Posada will be the primary DH as his body can’t withstand the impact of catching. If anything, the constant rumors connecting the Yanks to Martin suggest that the team isn’t sold on Montero’s defense right now.

So Martin has emerged as a pawn. He’ll turn 28 before Opening Day, and he’s coming off of two bad injury-plagued years. During his ages 23-25 season, he hit .285/.373/.433 but turned in a Cervellian .249/.350/.330 slash line during his past two seasons. For the right price and with the right expectations, Martin would be a fine addition both for depth and for potential behind the plate.

Yankees checking out Russell Martin’s medical records

by 32 Comments

Via Joel Sherman, the Yankees (and Mets) have received, and are presumably reviewing, free agent catcher Russell Martin’s medical records. The Yanks will also meet with his representatives here during the winter meetings, but a deal is unlikely to get done this week. Clearly the Yankees dig the idea of improving their catching situation, and Martin would be a) an upgrade over Frankie Cervelli, and b) allow the team to be more patient with Jesus Montero. I fully expect Martin to sign with the team that offers the best combination of money and playing time, but the fact that the Yanks are reviewing the medicals tells you they mean business.

A deal that almost was: Cervelli for Martin

by 42 Comments

As we celebrate Mariano Rivera’s inevitable homecoming, here’s something juicy for your late-night dreams: The Yankees, reports Michael S. Schmidt of The Times, were on the verge of trading Francisco Cervelli to the Dodgers in exchange for Russell Martin. The Yankees and Dodgers exchanged medicals on Wednesday, but the deal seemed to slip away shortly before the non-tender deadline at midnight. The Dodgers eventually decided to drop Martin, and the Yanks could take a flier on him without surrendering Cervelli — my favorite Yankee punching bag.

Martin would be an intriguing addition to the Yanks. As a 24-year-old in 2007, he hit .293/.374/.469 with 19 home runs, but health problems have slowed him down of late. Due to an issue with his hip labrum, he played just 97 games in 2010 and hit only .248/.347/.332. Still, his walk rate has been above 10.8 percent for the past four years, and when healthy, he’s a very solid defensive catcher. He’d definitely be an upgrade over Cervelli, and he’s one upon whom the Yanks will probably keep an eye this month.