Yankees Agree to Terms with Russell Martin
When the Dodgers non-tendered Russell Martin, it was only a matter of time before some team took a flier on him. Three AL East teams, in fact, were reportedly seeking his services. This morning we learned that the Yankees have come out ahead. MLB.com’s Alden Gonzalez reports that the Yankees have agreed to terms with Martin. His presence could drastically alter how the Yankees approach the next eight months.
Taking on Martin certainly represents a risk, or else the Dodgers would have tendered him at the deadline. After hitting at least .280 in each of his first three seasons, Martin has been around .250 in each of the past two. During that time he has seen a dip in his BABIP, but it hasn’t been drastic. What’s more troublesome is that he has experienced a significant power dip in the last two seasons.
Also of concern is Martin’s hip, which he fractured in early August. That ended his season at just 97 games. While hip injuries are always a concern — and the Yankees reportedly think his physical is a big deal — it did afford him a bit of rest. From 2007 to 2009 Martin starts 449 games, which is the most among the 85 players who were behind the plate for 90 percent of their games. The next closest are Brian McCann and Jason Kendall at 422. Martin had played in 97 of the team’s 107 games up to his injury in 2010 as well. Wear and tear is certainly a concern with him.
Even as his average and power declined, Martin still managed to produce more than 2 WAR in each of the past two seasons. That is in part due to his position, but is also due to his sustained walk rate. When Martin broke out in 2007 he walked in 10.8 percent of his plate appearances. He’s remained above that mark ever since, which has allowed him to keep his OBP at a respectable level. In 2009 his .352 OBP ranked sixth among catchers with at least 400 PA, and his .347 mark would have ranked eighth in 2010 had he qualified. Since his debut in 2006, the only catcher who has drawn more walks is Joe Mauer.
Martin can help the Yankees immediately this off-season. After losing out on Cliff Lee, the Yankees could turn to the trade market in search of a starter who can fortify the 2011 rotation. That will mean sacrificing a few of their prospects. Chief among them is Jesus Montero, a 21-year-old catching prospect who figures to rank among the game’s top five prospects. If the Yankees want to make a splash, especially for a pitcher such as Zack Greinke, they’ll need to offer Montero. Having Martin on board helps them do that.
If the Yankees prefer to retain Montero and see if he can develop behind the plate, Martin helps them do that, too. His presence allows them to start Montero in the minor leagues. That allows them a bit longer a period to assess the situation. If Montero continues to mash AAA pitching and shows semi-competent skills behind the plate, the Yankees can perhaps flip Martin, or else use him to help ease Montero into the starting role — in the same manner they eased in Jorge Posada with Joe Girardi in the late 90s. If Martin produces heavily, the Yankees could also be inclined to use Montero as a July trade chip.
Martin might represent a risk, but it is one that the Yankees are positioned to take. They have plenty of available money after losing out on Lee — perhaps up to $25 million — so they can afford to absorb Martin’s 2011 salary if he flames out. If he comes back to his 2009 and 2010 levels, they’ll at least have a catcher with a decent OBP who can help ease Montero into the role (if they don’t trade him first). If he rebounds to his 2007 and 2008 levels, the Yankees have an absolute steal. In any case, it was a good move for a team that has money to burn.
Joe also writes about the Yankees at River Ave. Blues.
I thought Montero wasn’t even in contention to catch at the mlb level? Someone said he was the worst defensive catcher they’d ever seen.
Also I don’t see the Royals going for on another DH with Butler, Kila, and Hosmer.
He’s being given the chance to win the job in spring training. I bet a Martin/Montero job share is the most likely option, with Romine and pitching prospects being moved for a #3 type SP.
Martin can also play a little 3B, so he may spot ARod against lefties, letting him DH to rest more.
That someone wasn’t watching Jorge Posada this year.
Montero is worse than Posada. He should be a first baseman.
He is a hell of a hitter, though, so the Royals should seriously consider working out a trade for him. They can give him a shot at catcher, but ultimately they should trade Butler if they acquired Montero, who projects much higher than Butler. Adding Montero into the stable of young hitting prospecs the Royals have could make them a deadly team in a couple seasons.
If they’re going to trade Greinke, go fo the highest-end prospects, and Montero is in the top three right now.
Frankie Piliere disagrees; he thinks Montero can make it in the majors as a catcher.
His may be a minority opinion, but was a major league level scout as recently as last season:
http://tinyurl.com/2eep2zg
Please delete the above; it has a very very inappropriate link I entered by mistake.
I meant to link this instead:
http://tinyurl.com/2ct3lrt
LOL…
Evan3457 of waswatching.com fame: Without looking the answer up, which of the following four words is spelled correctly?
1. judgement
2. minuscule
3. post-season
4. ass-wipe
Right again, chump. And what are you doing with such juvenile and very, very inappropriate links?
Have the terms for his contract been released yet? If not, how can you say signing him would be an absolute steal if he performs at 2007/2008 levels? Are you saying that even if the Yankees spent the entire $25 million “available,” 2007/2008 Martin would be worth it? (Of course, I use the word “available” loosely when describing the Yankees payroll)
Because common sense should tell you that Russell Martin did not sign for $20M/season. Or even $15M. So if he returns to being a 5 WAR player, he will be a steal.
Exactly.
Martin earned $5.05 million in 2010 and was non-tendered by the Dodgers because he likely would’ve earned a raise to somewhere in the ballpark of $6.5-$8 million, which the Dodgers felt was risky given his hip.
So, the Yankees are likely to sign him for roughly what he would have made in arbitration(or, had the Dodgers tendered Martin a contract and they had avoided arbitration by negotiating directly)–no more than $6-$8 million, which is a steal if he does rebound to put up something like 2 WAR.
Also, he’s under the Yankees control for 2012 as well, I believe, with final year of arb-eligiblity. So, he’s essentially the transition catcher from the old(Jorge Posada) to the new(Montero? Romine? Someone else).
And yes, I think it’s likely the Yankees trade Montero now and go with Martin and Cervelli in 2011.
Actually, there are a lot of misconceptions over what Martin would have been paid.
1) It is not at all clear that he would have gotten a raise at all in arbitration, and he certainly wouldn’t have gotten anywhere near $8m.
2) The Dodgers non-tendered Martin over a difference of $800k, which was asinine given how awful Rod Barajas is when he doesn’t go on a home run tear. Martin offered $5m + $1m in incentives, the Dodgers offered $4.2m plus the same incentives. The fact that Martin will almost certainly produce at a higher rate than the combo of Dioner Navarro and Barajas, it was a ridiculous decision.
3) I’m still surprised people haven’t questioned Don Mattingley’s approach with Martin. He reworked the swings of Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp for the better but Martin’s swing is nowhere near the same as it was before the 2008 All-Star break (when Mattingley took over as hitting coach). If Martin goes back to the short, whip-like swing with just a mild uppercut he had before, plus actually swings at a few more pitches, he has a great chance of returning to at least 2008, if not 2007 offensive production.
4) Martin is one of the best defensive catchers in the game and has been lauded for his staff-handling since he came up. He is also known as a hard worker who tirelessly worked with Brad Ausmus on pitch charting to his benefit.
Well AA, I’m guessing you’re not a Yankee fan, judging by how you mispelled Mattingly’s last name. 🙂
Mattingly was an excellent hitter, but great hitters don’t always make the best hitting coaches. I’m not saying Mattingly’s not a good hitting coach. I never heard much either way when he had that role on the Yankees.
It’s a bit difficult for an outsider to judge hitting coaches, since no one can teach hitting, and certainly not at the MLB level. I do think there are hitting coaches better than others. The man who replaced Mattingly on the Yankees, Kevin Long, seems to have developed quite a following, both on the Yankees and other clubs, helping Cano maximize his power and improve his patience; reworked Swisher’s swing and approach; helped Granderson against lefties; even helping A-Rod after he lost his power stroke by using his lower body again. In the end, a hitting coach can’t teach hitting, but hopefully a good one can help a veteran hitter get back on track, or a young hitter to maximize his abilty. Be interesting to see if Martin improves under Long.
Regardless if Mattingly was a good hitting coach, I suspect he’ll make a good manager, even if he’s a bit green right now. He has a reputation of being well-prepared, he’ll command respect from players because of what he accomplished, and he had a reputation as a player of keeping order in the club house when other players got out of hand. His even-handed temperment should serve him well.
As for Martin, I don’t know why the Dodgers would let 800K phase them. While Barajas will hit a few more HRs when his bat accidentally runs into a ball, he will also get on base at a much lower rate than Martin, and defensively he is not as good.
My guess is that he’s signed for, at absolute most, $6 million. I’d wager playing time was the biggest factor in his decision. The Sox allegedly offered him the role of utility guy (Spelling around the infield and catcher) and the Jays likely want to give the bulk of catching duties to Arencibia and use him as a backup. The Yankees, reportedly, want Martin to start. I’d be willing to bet the money was about equal on all offers and the chance to start is what brought Martin in.
$4M plus incentives. seems like a great deal considering he’s under team control for 2012 as well. if he rebounds AND Montero arrives, the Yankees own a very tradeable asset.
Evan,
Maybe you were thinking Jane Russell Martin???