Let’s start with what we already know about Martin. He is an average hitting catcher. He has never hit over .300 in his career. That is common among catchers, with the exception of a few guys like Ivan Rodriguez and Joe Mauer. Last season, he hit .237. But he is a great defensive catcher. That’s possibly why the Yankees snagged him in the first place. While I am not a huge fan of Sabermetrics, his .994 fielding percentage this season is impressive.
I guess the biggest thing to consider is, what are our other options as far as starting catchers and at what price. AJ Pierzynski and Mike Napoli both become free agents at the end of this season. Both are better hitters then Martin but Martin is a better defensive catcher. So I guess we have to consider whether it is best to have a good defensive catcher or a good hitting catcher. Of course we could always default to having Chris Stewart being our everyday starting catcher. We could also use Austin Romine or Francisco Cervelli.
Look, I like Martin. He is a gritty player. He can stop balls and gets the runners out. To me, that is important to have in a catcher. But his at bats often leave a lot to be desired. I do think it will be a difficult decision when considering Martin’s contract. Will the Yankees get their money’s worth if they re-sign him? Honestly, if they do re-sign him, I don’t see it being more then a two-year deal and possibly with a pay cut.
--Erica Morales, BYB Writer
Twitter: @e_morales1804
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