Russell is a Yankee

[A.E]

Yankees sign catcher Russell Martin to one-year contract​

Moving on quickly after Cliff Lee turned them down, the Yankees “have agreed to terms on a contract with Russell Martin,” according to Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com. It’s believed to be a one-year deal, although the Yankees would also have Martin under team control in 2012 as an arbitration-eligible player.

Because of his fractured hip Martin passing a pre-signing physical exam is probably no sure thing, but assuming he does the Yankees beat out the Red Sox and Blue Jays to nab the two-time All-Star after he was non-tendered by the Dodgers.

If healthy Martin will be given every opportunity to serve as the Yankees’ primary catcher, with Jorge Posada spending the bulk of his time at designated hitter. Francisco Cervelli is in line to be the backup after starting often in place of Posada this year and the Yankees’ top prospect, Jesus Montero, is for now at least a catcher even if many people believe he’ll eventually move out from behind the plate.

Not so long ago Martin was one of the best all-around catchers in baseball, hitting .285 with a .373 on-base percentage and .433 slugging percentage in 427 games through age 25, but he’s batted just .249 with a .350 OBP and .330 SLG in the past two seasons while missing half of 2010 with the fractured hip that remains a question mark. Bouncing back is hardly guaranteed considering how hard the Dodgers rode Martin prior to the hip injury, but he’s still just 28 years old and would bring plenty of value to the table with his defense and on-base skills even if the rest of his game lags behind.

-HBT

 

[VC15]

Will it possibly be Martin/Montero/Cervelli on the depth chart?

 

[A.E]

Will it possibly be Martin/Montero/Cervelli on the depth chart?

No way in hell. I suspect Cervelli has been on the phone with his agent all morning.

 

[The Guid]

Why not give Montero another half of a season in the minors and hope Cervelli shows something in the first couple months...maximize his trade value

 

[A.E]

Why not give Montero another half of a season in the minors and hope Cervelli shows something in the first couple months...maximize his trade value

This might be what the Yankees end up doing. I think it will depend on what Montero looks like in Spring Training. If he comes out strong, I can see him being put on the 25-man roster to start the season. I do have a fear that this offseason might pressure the Yankees to put Montero onto the field too soon. Then again, I have to think that Russell Martin signing provides them with more patience towards Montero's progress.

 

[Elite]

Montero will probably be called up later in the year, they probably want to avoid Super 2 status with him.

Anyway, I like the signing. Martin is still under team control so this isn't a one year rental, unless we decide to non-tender him. I think he can thrive in this Yankee lineup hitting towards the bottom of the order. Not to mention he's going from a pitcher-friendly park in LA to a hitter-friendly park in NY and the pitching in our division is pretty weak outside of the Sawx and the top half of the Ray's roto.

 

[elcheato]

I wouldn't be surprised to see Montero dealt for an ace.. Apparently teams like the Yankees and Red Sox see great things in Martin, maybe he is better then I give him credit for, and since the Yankees were willing to trade Montero at the deadline last year for Lee, I'm willing to bet they're willing to deal him for someone else as well, and if they see Martin as a decent young option at catcher, Montero becomes expendable.

 

[Elite]

Martin's down years have still been pretty solid seasons for a catcher. He has the potential to return back to his old form and like I said, the ballpark and the lineup around him will certainly help.

 

[A.E]

...additionally, not many expect Montero to stay behind the plate for too long at the MLB level. A majority of scouts say that he's much better suited as a corner infielder & we all know the Yankees long-term plans at those spots.

 

[snipezo]

Montero will probably be called up later in the year, they probably want to avoid Super 2 status with him.

Anyway, I like the signing. Martin is still under team control so this isn't a one year rental, unless we decide to non-tender him. I think he can thrive in this Yankee lineup hitting towards the bottom of the order. Not to mention he's going from a pitcher-friendly park in LA to a hitter-friendly park in NY and the pitching in our division is pretty weak outside of the Sawx and the top half of the Ray's roto.

Jays have a good rotation. Even though they traded marcum they still have some good young pitchers waiting in the wings.

 

[Elite]

I'm not overly impressed with it outside of Romero. They have some nice young pieces like Drabek and Morrow, but I'm not ready to put that as a rotation that anyone needs to be afraid of yet. In a year or two, probably.

 

[elcheato]

One good thing about Martin I like though, is that he decided to start going on a downward spiral after they dealt the Indians Carlos Santana

 

[Mexi]

yeah, it's pretty much exact. sigh

i'll miss Russell J
like i said before, love his defense. maybe not throwing out runners, which he isnt very good at, but blocking the plate he's very good. always gave his all back there. his problem has always been trying to hard

i would wish him good luck, but he's a yankee

 

[cruzg24]

This changes the balance of power in the AL East, bigtime wild card here. If he can regain his form the Yankees made a great investment, this is a great hitters ballpark so I think he is going to be good for them.