With the Pittsburgh Pirates and Detroit Tigers dealing with a number of free agency issues, it's not guaranteed they'll be able to hold onto their valuable veteran players. Russell Martin is gauging much interest outside of Pittsburgh and Torii Hunter isn't an immediate priority for Detroit.
Martin, 31, is perhaps one of the best and most experienced catchers in the game. He signed a two-year, $17 million contract with Pittsburgh before the 2013 season and helped the Pirates reach the playoffs in consecutive years after they hadn't made a postseason appearance since 1992. His defensive skill set coupled with his resurgent 2014 campaign (.290/.402/.430 with 11 home runs and 67 RBIs) has him poised to receive a multi-year contract that will pay him at least $10 million per season. But where will he land?
ESPN's Buster Olney writes Martin is a great fit for the Chicago Cubs, whose entire infield is essentially set with young and cheap talent. Two of their three outfield spots are accounted for as well. The only positions they lack are an ace in the starting rotation and a catcher, and with plenty of money to spend, Chicago could easily fill the void at catcher and sign Martin. Among a team of young players, Martin would be a valuable asset in a number of ways.
"Catcher is a position of need for them, and everything that Martin brings to the table -- the high on-base percentage, the patient at-bats, the pitch-framing, the leadership -- is an area of need for the Cubs," writes Olney. "No free agent is a more perfect match for a team than Martin is for the Chicago Cubs, at this stage of their development."
The other teams speculated to give the veteran catcher a multi-year deal are the Dodgers and Pirates, but the Dodgers have hired small-market executives to help better handle their excessive payroll, so Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times believes the team will be cautious in their offseason decisions. As for the Pirates, they're working to retain impending free-agent starters Francisco Liriano and Edinson Volquez, and if they commit a solid chunk of their payroll to Martin then they won't be able to afford both pitchers. Right now, the only experienced starters that will be ready for Pittsburgh in 2015 are Gerrit Cole, Jeff Locke and Vance Worley. So although they would love to obtain Martin, they need to make sure signing him doesn't handicap them from making other roster moves.
Another experienced and talented veteran, Torii Hunter, is also a free agent following the expiration of his two-year, $26 million contract with the Detroit Tigers. Hunter was unsure about his return to baseball being that he's 39 years old, but in October he announced he would like to continue his career in 2015 and he prefers it be with the Tigers. However, Detroit has more pressing free-agent issues to deal with, including starting pitcher Max Scherzer and first baseman/designated hitter Victor Martinez, which means Hunter is not atop their priority list.
According to MLive.com, several teams have shown interest in the veteran outfielder, including the Minnesota Twins. Hunter spent his first 11 seasons with Minnesota and maintained a .271 batting average with 192 home runs and 711 RBIs to go along with seven gold gloves. But according to Mike Berardino of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, the Twins would need Hunter to take a "major pay cut" for a reunion to occur. Nonetheless, it could be a win-win for both parties.
"The man who won nine straight Gold Gloves while playing centerfield is now a genuine liability defensively... but his bat still plays, and he's a beloved teammate. A return to Minnesota -- where he played until he was 31, and where he could split time between right and DH -- would make for a nice final chapter in his terrific career," writes Michael Rand of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune.
It's doubtful Hunter wants to take a pay cut for a team that has lost at least 90 games in four consecutive seasons when other contenders such as the Mariners, Giants, Royals and others are in need of a corner outfielder. Hunter batted .286 with 17 home runs and 83 RBIs in 2014 and should have a home in 2015 if Detroit opts to pass on his services.
