Pittsburgh Pirates rumors: Russell Martin looking for a big payday in free agency

Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Pittsburgh Pirates are in the heat of a playoff race. Catcher Russell Martin is one of their most important players.

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One would assume, then, that Martin is disinclined to discuss his impending free agency at season’s end. One would assume that Martin would offer canned, cliche answers, insisting that he is focused on winning games for the Pittsburgh Pirates right now and that he will worry about free agency later.

That is not the case: Martin is happy to discuss free agency. Quite frankly, it sounds like he is looking forward to what he thinks will be a big payday, even if that means he signs with a team other than the Pirates.

Here is what Martin had to say about the situation, courtesy of Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com:

"It’s going to be the postseason or the offseason coming up shortly, so I feel like it would be unintelligent at this point to not be patient and see what’s out there. I love the guys on this team, and I love what we have going on here. I love the direction this team is heading in, but who knows?“If there would have been something done in spring training, it would have been a different story. So far I’m having a solid offensive and defensive year, and people are starting to recognize the defensive attributes of catchers more. It will be fun to see how important that is and how much people value that.”"

Martin is batting .291/.409/.421 this season to go along with outstanding defense and veteran leadership behind the plate. That will get him paid, possibly pricing him out of Pittsburgh’s price range.

Stay tuned to FanSided for all of the latest news, rumors, and analysis for Major League Baseball as the season races towards the postseason and the hot stove this off-season.