Pasta-diving Martin...

Pasta-diving Martin...

What'll really be funny is if he's a better defensive SS than Jeter.

As Pirate fans visualize Martin leaving the field on a stretcher....

wouldn't lawrie at short and martin at third (where he actually has some experience as the excerpt says) make more sense?

wouldn't lawrie at short and martin at third (where he actually has some experience as the excerpt says) make more sense?

Brett Lawrie is getting paid more and is the hope and dreams of Toronto. Martin plays in Pittsburgh.

This makes me happy. I don't know why, and I don't care. It's fun.

If Martin shows that he's capable at SS, do the Pirates consider moving him there? He's probably better than their other options at the position if he can handle it defensively!

I'm probably mistaken but: didn't Martin hint that they should have him play short or he might skip the tourney?

If Martin shows that he's capable at SS, do the Pirates consider moving him there?

They could have the first ever middle infield made up entirely of guys who are actually catchers.

As Pirate fans visualize Martin leaving the field on a stretcher....

It would serve Neil Huntington right. The Martin contract ranks as one of the biggest wastes of money of the offseason.

-- MWE

So who is playing catcher for Canada? Kottaras? Nickeas?

Chris Robinson?

Chris Robinson?

I hope the pitching staff isn't Hard To Handle.

It would serve Neil Huntington right. The Martin contract ranks as one of the biggest wastes of money of the offseason.

Wow, that's a huge overbid. Martin is an average to above average (depending on your view of his receiving skills) C getting paid average money.

It's a perfectly cromulent contract.

Mike thinks Martin's lost it at the plate. (I disagree, but there are signs.)

Well played, #13.

#14--I think part of the issue with the contract was that the Pirates already had a cromulent catcher on their team who was making the minimum (Mike McKenry). The Pirates had a limited amount of money to spend this offseason, and chose to make the extremely marginal upgrade from McKenry to Martin, rather than on the extremely obvious weaknesses they had all year (shortstop, first base, and left field).

So even though Martin's very likely to be worth his contract, that doesn't mean it was a good deal for the Pirates.

I'm probably mistaken but: didn't Martin hint that they should have him play short or he might skip the tourney?

"If I ain't startin', I ain't departin': Operation Shutdown II."

Wait, so who launched Operation Shutdown I? Garry Templeton or Derek Bell?

#14--I think part of the issue with the contract was that the Pirates already had a cromulent catcher on their team who was making the minimum (Mike McKenry).

Shouldn't there be plenty of PT for both?

Shouldn't there be plenty of PT for both?

Of course--McKenry slots in as a backup catcher, and he should be one of the better ones in the league.

Martin and McKenry both project to around a 90 OPS+ this year (I assume). Their opening day lineup is going to have Clint Barmes and Travis Snider in it. There are a lot of Pirates fans who feel that the ~$20MM they spent on Martin would have been a lot better spent on guys like Stephen Drew, Melky Cabrera, Jonny Gomes, etc--positions where the exact same amount of money could have produced a HUGE upgrade in expected performance.

Then, heck drop a million bucks on George Kottaras, and now you have a backup catcher who gets on base and hits left-handed, rather than their current situation, where they have two right-handed guys with the exact same skillset (low OBP, high SLG).

Martin and McKenry both project to around a 90 OPS+ this year (I assume). Their opening day lineup is going to have Clint Barmes and Travis Snider in it. There are a lot of Pirates fans who feel that the ~$20MM they spent on Martin would have been a lot better spent on guys like Stephen Drew, Melky Cabrera, Jonny Gomes, etc--positions where the exact same amount of money could have produced a HUGE upgrade in expected performance.

Then, heck drop a million bucks on George Kottaras, and now you have a backup catcher who gets on base and hits left-handed, rather than their current situation, where they have two right-handed guys with the exact same skillset (low OBP, high SLG).

Is there any evidence the Pirates were payroll constrained by the Martin deal? Maybe they signed who they could.

Boston and Toronto are much friendlier hitting environments, and higher profile teams, to rebuild value for guys like you mentioned.

Chris Robinson?
I hope the pitching staff isn't Hard To Handle.

Is this an Otis Redding reference? I don't get it.

Chris Robinson's Black Crowes had a popular cover of the Otis Redding song.

Wait, so who launched Operation Shutdown I? Garry Templeton or Derek Bell?

That was Derek Bell.
Templeton was the "If I ain't startin' I ain't departin'" comment about the All-star game.

Russell will probably have more range than Jeter.