Let's Talk About Russell Martin

[Edgy MD]

If veteran catchers are a part of a champeenship formula, there's Russell Martin. If the Mets are fated to deal with the Blue Jays because they have a sudden paucity of outfielders and the Mets have a sudden (seeming) surplus, well, there's Russell Martin. If a red ass is an asset for catcher with a stable of young pitchers to work with, well, there's certainly Russell Martin. And hey, if the Mets are the ultimate destination of every hot young catcher developed by the Dodgers, I give you Russell Martin.

Russell Martin's name is starting come up as potential trade bait for the Blue Jays, so I'm guessing he might soon be rumored as Mets-bound, and hey, the Jays have provided the Mets as much catching in the Alderson era as the Dodgers did in years previous. His average has been steadily falling, but he still hits his 20 homers, and gets his share of walks. Not a lot of doubles. He's got that WWF cover-the-bald-patches quality that beefy catchers in their 30s sometimes get (looking at you, John Buck), so combined with the red ass and the two years in the Bronx (his worst, btw), yeah, I always thought there was a somewhat roidy air about him.

[Frayed Knot]

Will turn 34 during spring training ... AND, after living off a series of one & two year contracts, the Jays signed him to a FIVE year escalating deal prior to the 2015 season leaving him owed $20mil/year over the next three seasons.
Not sure I'd want any part of that - at least not at a high cost of actual human bodies in return.

[Edgy MD]

I ... hadn't ... realized. That's a reckless deal that they none should want to relieve their portfolio of. Five? Guaranteed? $20 million per year, you say? Three years remaining, you say?

Enjoy Toronto, Russ.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Yeah, I'm not too warm to this guy even as I know he'd be the kind of ballplayer who'd help the Mets, probably. But if he's available now he'd be available in July, probably.

I'm coming around to thinking it might benefit us even more to add a top-line starting pitcher to the rotation, light a little fire under Harvey and Matz's asses, and make the idea of the Mets coming to town worrisome for every offense in the league. Kinda like how the Braves did when they got Maddux.

[TransMonk]

I would love some Russell Martin. I think he would be an excellent mentor for Travis. The book Big Data Baseball that I read last year talked about how the Pirates looked at metrics and found that Martin was one of the best pitch framers in the game. They were able to calculate that into runs saved and cited that as the biggest reason they signed him in 2013.

But, I can't justify giving $60M to him for ages 34-36.

[A Boy Named Seo]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Yeah, I'm not too warm to this guy even as I know he'd be the kind of ballplayer who'd help the Mets, probably. But if he's available now he'd be available in July, probably. I'm coming around to thinking it might benefit us even more to add a top-line starting pitcher to the rotation, light a little fire under Harvey and Matz's asses, and make the idea of the Mets coming to town worrisome for every offense in the league. Kinda like how the Braves did when they got Maddux.

I kinda like this idea, too, for the fire-lighting, but also the frailty of our young dudes. I feel like Chris Sale would be great, but he strikes me as an IRL asshole and I keep waiting for his left arm to break anyway. Sorry to hi-jack Russell Martin, but I wanna talk about Chris Archer.

[Centerfield]

Russell Martin? Dude is crazy expensive and old. And not even that good. .733 OPS last year. Falling each of the last 3 years.

Let's avoid the worst three years of that contract.

[Edgy MD]

Yeah, I was looking at him in isolation. That contract re-writes the calculus, no doubt.

[Edgy MD]

And on that note, the Mets announce a $1.75 million agreement with René Rivera, probably their strongest non-tender candidate. I think Rivvie and d'Arnie are what the team is getting next season.

All other arby eligibles are expected to be tendered.

[Lefty Specialist]

Plawecki gets another taste of the Vegas nightlife. At least until the inevitable d'Arn-owww injury.

Russell Martin...yeah, no.

[ashie62]

Lefty Specialist wrote: Plawecki gets another taste of the Vegas nightlife. At least until the inevitable d'Arn-owww injury. Russell Martin...yeah, no.

Personally I'd rather be in Las Vegas than Queens.

[Guest Mets Willets Point]

Edgy MD wrote: And on that note, the Mets announce a $1.75 million agreement with René Rivera, probably their strongest non-tender candidate. I think Rivvie and d'Arnie are what the team is getting next season. All other arby eligibles are expected to be tendered.

Rivera went against the advice of his agent, who saw the contract and said "Just walk away, René."

[Fman99]

He's got MFY stink on him, too.

[Edgy MD]

The Mets say they aren't looking to add an upgrade at catcher. But maybe that was before the non-tender list revealed the availability of ... Welington Castillo. Hmmm? Not so smug and satisfied now, are you, Mets?