Blue Jays: Looking beyond dealing just the “rental” contracts

Russell Martin

This one is a little more complicated, mostly because of the amount of money the Canadian backstop is due through the rest of his contract. I’m a big fan of his, but as far as the way the rest of his career lines up with the Blue Jays prospects, I’m starting to wonder if he’d rather play somewhere else if you asked him off the record.

At 35 years old, Martin is nearing the end of his career, whether he wants to admit it or not. He’ll likely have a few more seasons as a big leaguer, but it’s very difficult to play into your 40’s as a career catcher, even if you’re as good of an athlete as Martin. He remains as asset on the defensive side of things, but this year has been a struggle for him, as he’s slashed just .174/.317/.322 in 45 games played.

It’s more complicated because of his salary, but this one could come down to what the Blue Jays could get back in return as well. Let’s say he heats up at the plate over the next month or so and shows that he’s still an asset at the plate as well, wouldn’t a two-way veteran catcher have appeal to a contender? Taking on all of his contract could get in the way, but if the Blue Jays take something back in the deal like they did with Aoki last year, there could be a way to make this work.

I’m not trying to push Martin out of Toronto by any means, but with Danny Jansen looking like the real deal in Triple-A Buffalo, and Martin likely wanting to pursue a championship before his playing days are over, maybe this one makes sense in the grand scheme of things?

If the Blue Jays can’t get anything worthwhile in return for Martin in a trade, I think there is tremendous value in keeping him around to mentor Jansen into the next generation of this team. However, if the return is right and it sends Martin to somewhere that he can chase a ring, it could be mutually beneficial, even if it would be a bit of a bummer.