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| Martin takes his talents to Toronto. Photo Credit: Kim Klement/USA Today Sports |
The Blue Jays have found their new catcher to lead them for the foreseeable future.
By: Michael Hanley
The Blue Jays have signed former Pirates catcher Russell Martin to a five year, $82 million deal sources have confirmed according to Fox Sports. It is a big splash for Toronto as they were looking for an answer at the catcher spot and to get a front line caliber player to fill it.
It is a great addition to what is already a loaded Blue Jays lineup. Martin is not a big power hitter per say but he throughout has career, especially in Pittsburgh, he was able to deliver timely hits that would be key to igniting comebacks or help the team take full control of a game.
He is a player that knows that he is not a big home run hitter so he smartly accepts and embraces being a singles and doubles hitter. That take allows him to just let his mechanics of his swing takeover and not think at the plate, knowing his approach at the plate will payoff more often than not as he sprays the ball to all fields of the ballpark.
In Toronto at Rogers Centre, that should not change especially on that fast surface the Blue Jays play on that lets the ball race through the infield defense if it is hit hard enough. It also is a spacious park that will allow him to distribute his hits evenly and give him a chance to repeat the .290 season he had last season in Pittsburgh.
It was a bit of a surprise that the Blue Jays won the Martin sweepstakes given that they had a catcher in Dioner Navarro that had a very productive and successful season for them last year. He wound up hitting for a.290 batting average and a.402 on base percentage that both were career highs. It is not easy to find production from the catcher's position like that in baseball.
Just think of all the wear and tear they go through with just having to manage a starting pitching staff and be able to handle all the pitchers that day's starter makes and calling a game good enough to put that pitcher in position for a great outing. Its understandable to see catchers with light stats as hitters. Navarro though was a reliable bat that came through for the Jay son many occasions throughout the season.
This new addition of Martin makes for a very interesting situation now at the catcher position. Yes Toronto now has depth at that position but how will manager John Gibbons split up the catching duties as Navarro will not want to just sit on the bench for most of the games.
Of course Martin will catch the bulk of the games since he did not come to Toronto to be a part time player for $82 million. Some happy medium has to be reached through in order for this to work for everyone in Toronto.
Also surprising was the fact that the Blue Jays beat out big market teams such as the Cubs, Dodgers and the team he was with in the Pirates for Martin's services. Though three teams had money and two in the Dodgers and Pirates have experience with him on their respective teams they could use to their advantage in all of his.Yet, Toronto made that serious push and beat all the disadvantages they had to work through to get Martin.
It is a big achievement in the sense that it has been quite difficult for the Jays to attract top end free agents to come north of the border and play for them long term with the tax difference between the United States and Canada.
Toronto now has a catcher in Martin who will be a key cog in their ability to finally get over the hump and get back to the postseason for the first time in over two decades.
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