It’s no secret that the Chicago Cubs are looking to make a big splash in free agency and the club is viewed as a favorite to land one of their top targets, catcher Russell Martin. Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports spoke with executives of opposing teams who view the Cubs as the “clear front runners” for Martin, noting that he expects the two sides to reach a deal in the neighborhood of four years, $64 million.
Executives involved in bidding for Russell Martin believe #Cubs are clear front-runner. Deal expected to be in four-year, $64M range.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 17, 2014
Martin is hands down the best catching option available on the open market this winter and he’s been drawing interest from a number of teams – including the Toronto Blue Jays, Los Angeles Dodgers, Pittsburgh Pirates, and the Cubs.
The 31 year old Martin hit .290/.402/.430 in 460 plate appearances for the Pirates this past season. Add in 20 doubles, 11 home runs, strong patience at the plate, and solid defense behind it and it’s clear to see why teams are interested in pursuing him on the open market. Martin also has a solid reputation for working with younger pitchers and could help provide some veteran leadership to an inexperienced team such as the Cubs.
Martin is coming off a two year, $17 million deal that he signed with the Pirates before the 2013 season. At that time the New York Yankees were believed to be the favorites to re-sign the catcher, but there were questions about how much the team was willing to spend given their perceived desire to get under the luxury tax threshold. Martin went to the Pirates, thrived over the past two seasons, and now finds himself primed to take advantage of a weak catching market.