tonytalkssports My Take on Sports, particularly the Yankees, Maple Leafs and Browns

Martin To Pirates….Now What??

Last night it was announced that Russell Martin signed a two year deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates for a contract worth $17 million dollars or $8.5 million dollars a year. This all happening as it was being reported that Mariano Rivera and the Yankees had agreed to a deal for the 2013 season. Interestingly enough, it was also reported that the Yankees never made an offer to Martin.

While many will say, "good let him go", the fact remains that the Yankees are now stuck with the option of using Chris Stewart, Austin Romine or Francisco Cervelli as your starting catcher. The free agent market is not conducive to where the Yankees want to be in 2014 because both Mike Napoli and AJ Pierzynski will be looking for more than a two year deal and Napoli will definitely want more than $8.5 million a year. Both of these free agents have issues as far as I'm concerned. Napoli is not an every day catcher and the Yanks have enough available DHs lying around. He also seems to fit into the current Yankee mold of hitters: home run or bust. Pierzynski is 36 years old. In my mind, even a 2 year contract for a 36 year old catcher seems to be a stretch. One also has to wonder how AJ's personality would fit in the Yankee clubhouse.

While Martin had a terrible first half of the season at the plate, he was one of the Yankees better hitters down the stretch, defensively he was solid and he could handle the pitchers well. On top of the fact that he turns 30 years old next year. This is why based upon Hal Steinbrenner's payroll edict, re-signing Martin made sense while the Yankees wait for somebody from their farm system to be ready, whether that's Romine or Sanchez.

It will now be interesting to see what the Boy Wonder Cashman will do now to fill this position. If we are to believe what the Yankees were saying that they wanted Martin back, why in the world would this have happened. $8.5 million dollars a year for 2 years for a soon to be 30 year old catcher is not unrealistic. Maybe it's because Cashman can only do one thing at a time as evidenced by his methodical signings of Hiroki Kuroda, Andy Pettitte and Rivera. Or maybe it's because the Boy Wonder is too busy preparing for once again rappelling down a building.

Ken Davidoff's article (listed below) outlines that the Yankees will need to be creative to meet Steinbrenner's edict while carrying the contracts of ARod, Teixiera and Sabathia. How the Boy Wonder handles the catching position will be the first sign of whether he has the ability to be creative. My gut tells me that he doesn't.

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/bombers_badly_need_creativity_on_OC1Bt1Pn4q8KK0VG4F10JN