The latest on Russell Martin

Russell Martin's future with the Dodgers will likely be decided soon, as the deadline for teams to tender contracts to players under their control is only three days away.

Martin, who earned $5.05 million last season and could earn more than $6 million in the arbitration process if he is tendered a contract, is a candidate to be let go by the Dodgers and made a free agent.

Martin's agent, Matt Colleran, said he hasn't spoken to the Dodgers in about a week. Colleran said that although he and the Dodgers exchanged "general ideas" about a pre-deadline deal ensuring that the team would avoid the potentially costly arbitration process, the club has not presented his client with a formal offer.

The Dodgers appear weary of giving Martin a significant raise, considering that the catcher is recovering from a season-ending hip injury and hasn't produced at All-Star levels in the last couple of years.

Asked if Martin would consider taking a pay cut to remain with the Dodgers, Colleran replied, "If any offer is made to us, I'll certainly discuss that with Russell."

Under baseball’s collective-bargaining agreement, the Dodgers could not cut Martin's salary by more than 20% if they tender him a contract.

Although the Dodgers would be free to offer him any kind of deal if they non-tender him, doing so would allow Martin to test the free-agent market. John Buck, a career .243 hitter who hit 20 home runs in a breakout season this year, received a three-year, $18-million contract from the Florida Marlins this off-season.

-- Dylan Hernandez

Comments

[Kenley Jansen]

Like I said before I can still catch when I am not pitching.
.
Heck, I can probably catch my own pitches, too!

[Jesse Zamarripa]

although in arbitration he could recieve 6 million the reality of the free agent market is he is worth about 750,000 to 1.5. it will be interesting to see if martin will save himself free agent embarassment and just sign to rebuild his career

[BlueOrf]

Much as I hate to say it, because when he was good he was a real scrapper and on the verge of greatness, but Russell Martin, barring a complete bill of health, looks like he is slated for work on a noncompetitive team (which the Dodgers were, unfortunately, the second half of last year). Sign Barajas, a gamer like Martin in his best days, with power and desire to be an Angeleno in his final days. Martin may even have to retire. I hope not. A good man.

[Dem Bums]

Say it ain't So......No Russell behind the plate? our All Star the boss of who's the Boss? Ok well maybe not anymore or then. But No!!! You can't bring in Giants year after year Ned!! Lopes is a Dodger and the off season has been good but getting another Giant??? No...number 55 is our All Star he's a fan favorite and has been outstanding in representing this organization in return the Dodgers need to be honest in keeping him. He's a Dodger if he can't catch put him in 2nd or 3rd Biggio did it why can't Russ???

[johnfrommanhattan]

Martin was finished a couple years ago. I wouldn't sign him for the league minimum!

[Bob Kay]

"The Dodgers appear weary of giving Martin a significant raise..."

Weary? As in exhausted?

Perhaps you mean wary, as in cautious?

Or leery, as in suspicious?

[These Dodgers Suck!!]

this whole off season has been a colossal waste of money,
so letting go of Martin would be the first sign of sanity that we've seen ...

[Stan]

Bob Kay has the most definitive post on Martin. Since the end of the 2007 season, you can put me in the leery category.

[Dodger Fan]

The Dodgers won't offer Martin arbitration. With declining numbers, questionable defense and a somewhat unknown injury, why should they? I know he is a fan favorite so why not offer him an incentive loaded contract that benefits both sides. He could dig his way out and the club would get the production.

After the signing of Uribe I'm more concerned about what, if anything, is remaining under the tree for a left fielder. Right now left field is sticking out like a 'Jamie Forever' tattoo on Frank's arm. Where is all this money coming from? Both Frank and Jamie, and their lawyers, have been very quiet lately. It's a little scary. I hope Frank's not down at the crossroad doing a Robert Johnson on us.

[Labeldude]

I'm not a Martin fan by any means BUT, Martin's downslide didn't start until Torre showed up and I've a suspicion that that isn't mere coincidence. Would I tender him? Hell no, but I would be inclined to sign him to an incentive laden contract for one year just to see if I was right. Won't cost you much that way if I was wrong, and he'll still have a better OBP than Barajas or Ellis.

In fact, most of the boys haven't progressed as they should - Loney, Kemp, Billz... since JoJo arrived. Joe was the wrong fit for this club from the start and aside from playing worthless vets at every excuse, assinine line-ups and mismanaging in-game situations, I firmly believe he got into these guys heads and messed with them to the point they didn't know if they were coming or going. I'm willing to let the boys have one more season without that anchor around their necks just to see if that weight being lifted makes a difference. Besides that, what's one more year of futility when we've already gone through 22? It's not as is Ned and Frank are trying to build a winner anyway. All NedCo has ever been charged to do is be "competitive" so as to keep butts in the seats.

[BlueinAZ]

I'm weary of the owner -- he who shall not be named. Way past wary. As for leery, that's where I am with the GM, who keeps on signing Gnats. This whole thing definitely leaves me weary. My word of the day. Weary.

[Mi opinion]

I hate to bust any bubbles, but...has anyone considered that the decline in Martin's power/slugging % stat's and the incease of related health could be caused by him coming off HGH or other perfomance enhancing drugs? Sounds like the Dodgers my know more than we know.
Remember what happened to another "enhanced" athlete/catcher ...Paul LaDuca ...and how his career took a nose dive..not to mention Manny and others!

[Chad Barton]

I say let Kenley catch!! Kenley Jansen starting cathcer 2011

[Tom Thompson]

Seems like the minute the Dodgers give one of their guys a contract that exceeds the MLB minimum they wind up with a player that barely exceeds the MLB minimum in terms of performance. Martin, Kemp & even Ethier to some extent have had pretty disappointing seasons (in some cases more than one) after they get the big contracts. If it's up to me (it's not) I say "So Long" to J. Russel Martin, but under no circumstances do I offer him more than the MLB minimum which in his case (at $4,000,000) happens to be about 10 times what he was worth last year. For that kind of money there has to be someone out there that can do the job considerably better than he has for the last couple of years. Personally, I'd rather see A.J. Ellis get a real shot at making it. If nothing else, he should be a hell of a lot cheaper.

[West Coast Ram]

The crazy thing is that through arbitration he could actually get a raise. With two years of declining numbers what justifies an increase in pay. The f-ing unions are killing California as well as the national past time.

[Zen]

Was it my imagination, or did I rightly perceive Barajas was an improvement over Martin?

[TK]

I was a big fan of Russ Martin when he hit the majors. He was full of energy, high OBP, had power and looked like a natural leader. But then his power started to drop off, and he struggled mightily in the 2nd half of seasons. He started getting injured and couldn't get healthy.
The team's success comes first and I would be sad to part ways but I think the team needs to go in another direction. Sign Barajas or another C who can play everyday and wouldn't be a ? heading into a season. If Martin can take a paycut, offer him 1 yr 1 mill. and have him be a backup C and 3B. There are bigger priorities for thsi team such as LF, power, and RP.

[Dodgerfan]

'Mi opinion' wrote what a lot of people are thinking (I know I was) but don't want to say it. Decline in performance and a rash of strange injuries equals PHD.

Although one could argue that Martin didn't just break down but that his injury was caused because he didn't slide and took an awkward step to avoid the tag. I can't remember who was on deck but I do remember thinking at the time that he didn't help Russell out by giving him some kind of signal to slide. I thought they taught that in the minors.

Russell Martin can't just come out and deny something that he hasn't been accused of so he may be stuck in the PHD shadow. Which would be a shame.

[N.P.Krohn]

Martin needs to go. Sign Barajas and let him and Ellis duke it out. Hey labeldude, bet you a cold one that A.J. finishes with a better OBP than Martin every year they both shall play. And hey to all those bitter blue fans, It has been a rough 14mos. for all Dodger fans(I have literally been sick to my stomach at times) but the last 3 weeks of this offseason has already exceeded my expectations by about 20mil and while alot of it may be trying to con rich folks into shelling out for their season tix; most of those would buy the season tix anyway and won't go to half the games. That makes for alot of affordable tix from scalpers right before first pitch or free tix if we know em. And there will be alot of good games. Sure we'll still lose 70 plus one run games 3-2,2-1, or 1-0 but I think we'll win more and do it getting back to the Dodger baseball that we should've copyrighted back in the 60's because we could sue the gynts for enough $$ to sign Werth and Lee. And I would'vr rather taken a shot with the money on Peralta rather than Uribe but we did take a guy away from the winos that won alot of games for them and i think he can do the same thing Blake did his first year and a half wearing Dodger blue before he ran out of geritol. So stop hating and start believing. This may not be a World Series team but at least we are heading in to camp with a legit shot of getting back to the playoffs.

[JW]

Thank you for your post NP, Hope springs eternal Dodger fans. Got some pitching, got Davey Lopes at first coaching, here we come small ball. Go Blue!

[A Scanner Darkly]

I suspect the Dodgers will offer Martin $4 mill to give him a chance to rebuild his career as a Dodger. If he declines, let him walk. As someone posted herein, this may be a case of post-PED doldrums.

[A Scanner Darkly]

I suspect the Dodgers will offer Martin $4 mill to give him a chance to rebuild his career as a Dodger. If he declines, let him walk. As someone posted herein, this may be a case of post-PED doldrums.

[Tom Thompson]

22 comments on this story and I have to wonder how many of these folks have been watching Martin play the last couple of years.... or the Dodgers for that matter.... Barajas.. a "gamer" like the Martin of old???? Then there is Martin as the "Biggio" of the future. Somehow, I don't think that putting Martin at 3rd or 2nd??? is suddenly going to boost his average 50 points or his HR output by 30.
Hey, I don't even have a problem with seeing number 55 on the field every day... I'd just like to see someone who can actually produce wearing it. I could go on... but really... what would be the point??? Regardless of what they do with Martin... at the end of the day they are still going to need a catcher. Too bad there just aren't any catchers out there right now. I'm looking forward to Thursday. Martin can move on and so can all of you who are dreaming that somehow, someway by signing with the Dodgers Martin magically becomes an All Star again. Sorry folks... they have already said their good byes.

[Lee Shelton]

Thank you Bob Kay. I was going to write the same comment.