Russell Martin's sad fade to black as a Dodger: catcher reportedly signs with Yankees

And then he was gone. No fanfare, no ceremony, not a single shred of confetti.

Once, everything seemed possible for Russell Martin as a Dodger. A long career in blue, going down with the L.A. greats behind the plate, honors and love and a team almost built around him.

Instead, he quietly moved on Tuesday, reportedly signing with the New York Yankees.

Martin heads out after consecutive poor seasons. The faithful, once so enamored with him when he was a two-time All-Star, had begun to moan about his regression at the plate and behind it.

All this before his hip gave out on him, ending his season Aug. 3.

His final numbers for 2010: a .248 batting average, five home runs, 26 RBI. Numbers very similar to his production the previous season.

From All-Star to mystery, from a player who looked like he could be the face of the team for years to come to puzzling disappointment.

All for a player who is only 27, who should still have his best years ahead of him.

The Dodgers were as confused by his downturn as anyone. Despite that and his hip injury, the team still wanted him back enough to offer him $4.2 million for next season.

Martin, either out of a desire to test the market or out of simply pride, spurned the proposal, refusing to sign for less than the $5 million he earned last season. Terms of his agreement with the Yankees have yet to be disclosed.

So he leaves the Dodgers without a true successor. They now plan to go to camp with 35-year-old Rod Barajas as their starter, and A.J. Ellis and Dioner Navarro vying for the backup spot.

That’s a far cry from an All-Star catcher, but then Martin has been far from an All-Star performer the last two seasons.

There is a certain sadness, a feeling of what could have been, to Martin’s unceremonious departure. Greatness as a Dodger was once so clearly within reach.

For his sake, I hope he recaptures his groove in New York. He was well-liked by teammates and the media in Los Angeles. He was a gamer who wanted to play every day. He worked well with the pitching staff. Gave the Dodgers three memorable years.

And, then, was gone, mystery and all.

-- Steve Dilbeck

Photo: Russell Martin. Credit: Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times

Comments

[Rob]

(John Ramsey inflection)
"Rod....Barajas. Catcher."

[Dave Yost]

No tears shed on this move. Russell had promise but never came to anything.

I will laugh if he's signed for less to play in New York...

Best wishes Coltrane.

[fredyt3]

Martin had a great stint while a Dodger. Unfortunately, however it happened, following two paltry years in the micro environment of professional sports, he wanted A RAISE!!!! If that type of production happened to "regular" people like you or me, we probably would expect to get fired but certainly not rewarded for producing less than in the past.
Anyway, sometimes a new environment is what a solid player needs to get back on track. Martin has the tools, once he accepts he can't play each and every day!!!
Finally being a looooong tenured Dodger fan, I have come to accept we have been snakebitten by the All Star omen, as of late once they made/played in the All Star game (Martin, Brox, Billingsley & Eithier), their 2nd half production was an embarrassment for them being selected.

[Fernando]

I'm sad to see him go. Should have signed for less and prove his mettle. I wish him luck. You said it, he could have gone down as one of the great Dodgers.

[Cliff Lee]

Obviously it was all about the money for Martin. He turns down $4.2 million to stay with his "beloved" home team with no guarantee for LA that he'll even be able to play. And for what -- maybe a million more?

I guess you can't fault a guy for looking after himself monetary. But spare the crocodile tears about his departure. Thanks for the brief memories Russell and good luck in NY.

[Saul]

Russel was another dodger A prospect that failed to deliver for us. Next!

[David]

I don't blame Martin for leaving. I'm sure he'll move onto the Yankees and be successful. He was only 27 and his best years are still ahead.

[Tom, Long Beach, California]

it will be a long time before the Dodgersa re even a contender again.......no pitching and now future stars like this are let go.....

THANKS FRANK AND JAMIE you selfish pigs

[k]

I don't blame Russell in the least. He's leaving a messy, embarrassing ownership situation and a team mired in mediocrity perhaps for years to come, to go to a first-class organization with bottomless pockets and a winning tradition. And he gets to be a catcher. And he's closer to his Canadian roots. He can make this move his "do-over". Despite everything, I'll die a Dodger fan, but I'll root for him.

BTW, I see that ManRam is still unsigned...

[eltalon]

Well, does he go the way of a Pedro Martinez and become "phenomenal"? Doh, way to go, again, Dodgers! Or, as an Adrian Beltre? 'Meh', good move Dodgers. Time will tell friends. I, for one, WILL be watching from afar. Navarro? Back here again? Eeesh, really?

[Jaime]

Hmm. Sudden downturn in offensive numbers. Any ideas why?

[Higgins]

Although I agree with the Dodgers decision to non-tender Martin, I fear that he will become the next Jayson Werth - great start in L.A., fades away, then finds huge success with another team. Give 'em hell in NY, Russ.

[waskoma]

He is leaving because california is going down the shooter. He knows it, his agent knows it, now you know it...

[Mike Piazza]

Hey, they got rid of me, too!

[sc]

is this move going to be another one the Dodgers will regret over and over and over again? I sure hope not.

[Jess]

Good luck, Russ. If everybody played as hard as Russ(cough Manny cough Kemp)we'd have at least one WS title during his time in LA. But his tenacity and toughness came with a cost as his production dipped after playing many, many, MANY more games than any other catcher year after year...after year. Look at how many games he caught the past few years combined, compare it with the average major league catcher and you'll see why he fell off so bad.

[alan]

Russell is nothing like Werth, his decline came while playing full seasons. But his production should increase just by leaving Dodger stadium and going to a better lineup. I think he is a solid signing for the Yanks but won't put even close to Posada's numbers.

[Jorge]

In other news dodger sign 3 scrubs: Castro ( .190 hitter 38 years old), Eugenio Velez (sub 200 hitter with speed), Closser (COL failed experiment)

Wow Dodgers are full of scrubs now...am sure it won't be long before KEMP and Either want out.

[tim chaney]

carlos santana, we never knew ye...

[Kgoddess]

Will miss ya Russell.
Can we please send the McCourts somewhere? Like maybe Siberia?

[Joe Ferguson]

I'm still available

[Jorge]

If the Dodgers are not sold and this messy divorce situation of co-owners will they be trading talent for money such as kemp to xxx for $12 million like deals so they can afford to keep the team?

[Coach Rollie]

Sad to see him go, but his numbers were also sad. Good bye!

[Mike_from_SGV]

Nice guy, but he just didn't perform in the last 2 years, and how can you give a big salary extension when this happens? Best wishes to him.

[Frank McD]

Martin may be done at catcher but the signings of Barajas and Navarro are a sign of total organizational incompetence. Neither of these two bums were being looked at by any other team. Ridiculous.

And to add insult to injury, the addition of Gwynn as a defensive outfielder is a total waste of money. He barely hit his weight last year.

Well, now that Martin is a Yankee I guess I'll have to hate him. Why do ex-Dodger catchers always end up playing in New York?

[tired of watching scrubs]

Good riddance!

The Yanks will have to use their DH to hit for Martin...

[Jess]

Boycott Dodger Stadium till the McCourts sell the team. Simple as that. I'm a die hard Dodgers fan and did not renew my season tickets(had 4 seats since 98!)before last season after Misses Moneybags said she was "the face of the Dodgers" and all their lavish spending became public. Oh, I still went to 10 games or so but only because friends invited me. But I didn't drink my customary beer or eat any Dodger dogs. Bought peanuts because I love them so but otherwise didn't spend a dime. Hate to do it but it's called tough love and if more fans do the same they'll be forced to sell.

[Hector Fraticelli]

I think the Yankees are getting damaged goods. Russell Martin may not be fully recovered from his hip injury when training camp opens in March. I believe he will be back-up catcher to Jorge Posada next season. In the meantime, he could do some DH-ing now that he is in the American League.

[You know its true!]

Since Mike Piazza was traded (eons ago now), our Catcher`s position has become almost as big a 'Black Hole' as 3rd Base since Ron Cey left .......
(back in the Pleistocene Era)

[ed]

roids?

[Labeldude]

Can't blame Ned on this one for letting him go. I wouldn't have even offered 4.2 mil, not for the wussybat Martin showed over the last 2 1/2 seasons. I think at least some of his lack of production was due to Torre getting in his head, but that's not worth 4.2 to find out if that was the case.
.
However, there were too many times when Martin came up with men on in a big situation over the last couple years that he morphed into Tommy Boy in the restaurant scene.
.
Change of scenery will probably do him good, but if he's anything like he was here the NY writers will have a field day.

[John]

Good riddance.

[ringeroo]

well, he shrunk noticably and then his numbers shrunk. hmmmm..

[California Sun]

Martin can't hit anymore, and his defense isn't what it used to be. The Yankees were fools to sign him. Martin was always a high-batting average, low RBI hitter, even at his best, and at his worst, which Dodger fans endured for the last two seasons, he was awful.

[West Valley Dave]

The real issue that all of you miss is his hip. If it is properly repaired and given enough time to completely heal he might continue a decent career. But being a catcher in competitive amateur leagues in my earlier days I know how much your hips play in that position. It's a 50-50 chance at best that he'll be an adequate backstop and I don't have a good feeling for his success though I wish him well.

[SmackSaw]

He's a catcher with a bad hip. Cutting him loose is no great surprise.

[FormerLifelongDodgerFan]

Glad that a worthless former Dodger signs with a team I hate. As others have stated here, good riddance. Dude sucks.

[nickriversLA]

off the roids and the numbers fell...well the roids was always a rumor! Anyhow J Mart don't let to door hit you in the....

[Dodgerfan]

The demise of Russell Martin is and will probably remain, a mystery. Were those two years a fluke, was it overuse or was he juicing? Only he knows for sure. I am just surprised the the Yankees would sign him when he hasn't started running and catching drills. He is not returning from a normal injury. He doesn't have any idea on how his hip will react to the day to day rigors of catching. Will he be able to block the plate? Since it is his right hip how will it effect his swing, his start when running or sliding?

I'm sad to see him go but the Dodger's did the right thing. They didn't offer him pennies to remain. It was his decision to leave. I wish him good luck but there are a lot of questions to be answered.

[OldBrooklynFan]

Kind of weird that first Piazza, then LaDuca and now Martin, each giving me a chance to follow them in New York's Daily News, everyday.

[Grandpa]

It was Frank Ramsey, not John

[Cam]

This is what happens to players who are no longer JUICING. Their production nunbers come back to reality...

[Joe the Plumber]

From the NY Post:

11:29 AM, December 14, 2010 ι By JOEL SHERMAN

A one-time teammate of Russell Martin provided a scouting report for The Post. Martin, who played the first five seasons of his career with the Dodgers, has agreed in principle to a deal with the Yankees.

Here's the take from his former teammate:

“He’s an enigma. He does not have a good approach at the plate. But he is a good catcher in a lot of ways, but not on the mental side. He is not a high-end game caller. But he is very tough. He is the type of player you think should be better. He is a good thrower with a strong arm. He really quickened his feet in the last year or two and just has a lot better mechanics. His blocking is good, but could be better. I think he became someone important too quickly in LA. I think he got comfortable. I think the Yankees would be great for him because it will hit his ego that he is not a star. I think being surrounded by stars and being shown his level will help. He is a very hard worker and I think Yankee Stadium would help because he is best when hitting to right-center field. He is at his worst when he is trying to pull to left for homers and he really would have to watch that at Yankee Stadium. He has a funky swing and I don’t know if even a really good hitting coach would make a difference.”

[Scott from Marina Del Rey]

Well, does he go the way of a Pedro Martinez and become "phenomenal"? Doh, way to go, again, Dodgers! Or, as an Adrian Beltre? 'Meh', good move Dodgers. Time will tell friends. I, for one, WILL be watching from afar. Navarro? Back here again? Eeesh, really?

Posted by: eltalon | 12/14/2010 at 11:20 AM

Adrian Beltre's "meh" line from last year: .321 28 102 .365 .553

Russell Martin can join the ranks of Shane Victorno, Edwin Jackson, Adrian Beltre, Jayson Werth, Cody Ross, and James McDonald on Dodgers in (fairly) recent years that the Dodgers have "sold low". Yeah, Martin was disappointing recently, and yeah, their offer to him was reasonable. But they let him go over an $800,000 difference for Barajas and Navarro?! This is especially frustrating, considering the Yankees probably would have given us Cervelli if the Dodgers had done a "sign and trade". But an extra $800,000 is too much to ask from the current organization for someone deemed as a risk, I guess. Oh well.

Anyway, all the best to J-Mart in the Bronx.

[Robert C. Binyon]

It is sad to see Russell go, it was even worse to see him regress the last couple of seasons. He just wasn't the same anymore, I don't know if it was the injuries or what, however what people forget is that he was still getting on base. His OBP was still .347 last season and .352 the year before that.

www.lasportsminute.blogspot.com

[Since '58]

Martin's story was just plain sad. I don't remember a burn out like this one; both offensively and defensively. For his sake I hope he finds himself again. I feel worse for us Dodger fans more than I do for him. He was a great disappointment after showing such promise. The team couldn't overcome his decline for two straight seasons. He could be hidden in 2009 because other players like Blake, Hudson, Ethier, Loney and Kemp were having tremendous years. The team did it without him AND Manny. But 2010 exposed his weaknesses when the team wasn't producing like it had the year before. See ya, Russ.

[Mister Chris]

He stunk the last two seasons. Anemic.

[ipsedixit]

He was a product of PEDs. Not sorry to see him go.

[Lane Kiffen]

Clearly his supply of flax seed oil was cutoff. Maybe Gagne was the pulp in daily juice.

[H Albert]

Baseball is a funny game. Martin was the Silver Slugger winner in '07, and his long-term potential was so great the Dodgers felt comfortable trading away a prospect like Carlos Santana to get immediate gratification (two NL West titles with Casey Blake at 3B). Martin for some strange reason has gotten worse instead of better, and the next thing we're bound to see is Carlos Santana winning the Silver Slugger award for Cleveland. How do ya figure?! Nonetheless, the Bums offered Martin plenty of money for 2011, he simply wanted a change - - and who can blame him? With the ownership situation as it is, Dodger Blue is in for a bumpy ride.