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The latest on Russell Martin

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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.

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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

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