Life After Russell Martin: Potential Starting Catchers for Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates starting catcher Russell Martin made a huge impact on his team's performance in the short two years that he played there.
In 238 games played with the Pirates, the 31-year-old Canadian batted .256 with 26 home runs and 122 runs batted in. More importantly, his expertise in working with pitchers while calling games behind the plate has been difficult to match over the last two seasons.
Now, it is looking like Pirates general manager Neal Huntington will be searching for a replacement this offseason.
According to Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, the Pirates offered a contract extension to Martin sometime during the 2014 regular season, but he decided to turn it down and test the market by becoming a free agent.
Heyman also quoted Huntington, saying, "We'd love nothing more than to have Russell Martin in a Pirates uniform for years to come. And if it were unilateral, he would be. It's not. And if we don't have enough, then we'll do the very best to find the next Russ Martin."
So, if the two sides do not work out a new contract in free agency, who will fill Martin's shoes? Let's take a look at a few free agents who could serve as the next Russell Martin in Pittsburgh:
John Buck
An 11-year veteran, Buck broke out in 2010 while playing for the Toronto Blue Jays. He blasted 20 home runs and batted .281 in 118 games that year.
In 2014, Buck was limited to just 32 games, blasting only one home run and driving in six.
Buck was traded to the Pirates from the New York Mets in 2013. In nine regular season games with Pittsburgh, he batted .333 with two runs batted in.
At 34 years of age, Buck may be a viable option in a platoon role with current backups Chris Stewart and Tony Sanchez, but the Pirates would likely prefer to fill Martin's shoes with someone who can serve as an everyday catcher in 2015.
Ryan Doumit
The Pirates could also reach out to another former member of the organization, catcher Ryan Doumit.
In 611 career games with the Pirates, Doumit batted .271 with 67 home runs and 266 RBI.
Since leaving Pittsburgh in 2012, his numbers have steadily declined, batting .275 in 2012, .247 in 2013 and just .197 in 2014.
Doumit will turn 34 in April, so don't expect Huntington to offer him a lengthy contract. Still, if Martin doesn't re-sign with the Pirates, Doumit may be an option to consider.
Geovany Soto
Geovany Soto was the National League Rookie of the Year in 2008 while playing for the Chicago Cubs.
The major concern that comes with Soto is his tendency to get injured throughout the season, which has plagued him over the last few seasons.
The last time Soto played in 100 games or more was in 2011, when he batted .228 with 17 home runs for the Cubs.
Soto played in just 24 games in 2014, batting .250 with one home run.
The positive thing about signing a guy like Soto is that he probably will not demand a large contract due to the fact that he has only played in just 177 games over the last three seasons.
If that is the case, Huntington could offer Soto a one-year deal as a part-time catcher, but again, the Pirates are looking to find someone who could closely resemble Martin in the organization.
A.J. Pierzynski
Perhaps the most consistent catcher who will likely hit the market is A.J. Pierzynski of the St. Louis Cardinals.
Over 17 seasons, Pierzynski has batted .281 with 177 home runs and only 829 strikeouts in 6,636 regular season at bats.
The major negative: Pierzynski will turn 38 during the offseason, and putting up consistent numbers as a starting catcher at that age is simply difficult to do.
Still, if the Pirates are looking for a catcher that can lead his pitching staff like Martin did, Pierzynski may be the best option in this market.
Clearly, the market for a starting catcher will be very slim pickings this offseason. Aside from Martin, the biggest free-agent name with experience behind the plate is Victor Martinez.
Unfortunately for the Pirates, however, Martinez is at the point in his career where he will be playing mostly first base and designated hitter, which means that he likely will not look to sign with a National League team.
Martin is still only 31 years old, so even if he demands a three-year deal worth more than the Pirates had offered him during the regular season, Huntington and the organization would be smart in going after him.
After all, he was one of the main reasons the Pirates were able to storm back into the playoff hunt during the second half of the 2014 regular season.
After analyzing the catchers that will likely hit the free agent market this winter, it is evident that the Pirates' smartest option is to do whatever they can to bring Martin back for the next three seasons.
*Statistics courtesy of Baseball Reference
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