2016 MLB Regular-Season Thread

Letting Martin go was fine. He's not worth big money. The McCann contract was a mistake overreacting to the predictable disaster that was Stewart & co. for that year in between.

Posada was done.

Do you hate all catchers or only those that go on to become managers?

 

People might not have wept but it doesn't diminish the fact the Yankees let someone very capable of being their catcher and leader of the foreseeable future walk out the door for nothing. In a non-salary cap sport. TO THE PIRATES. I mean God, how humiliating is that?

They have spent a lot of money trying to replace Martin, and they have failed. Meanwhile, he's turned around two franchises, one of whom basically spent pennies on the dollar for his services.

Cervelli didn't break out until he got to Pittsburgh, but mostly b/c Girardi hated him and kept him shackled to the bench. But that's how Girardi rolls with catchers. He feels threatened by them.

 

So he got McCann?

 

You omit the fact that McCann has been a better run producer than Martin has.
Since 2013:
McCann: 183 R, 75 HR, 244 RBI
Martin: 177 R, 52 HR, 217 RBI

Also, there's no real reason to include Chris Stewart. He's a career backup who was a place holder for the Yankees during the 2013 season, knowing McCann was going to be available the next year. They knew they were going to have a hole at catcher that season, but were not going to give Martin, who was turning 30 and whose OBP had declined every season since 2007, a multiyear deal with McCann on the horizon.

You're also overestimating the impact Martin had on the Pirates and Jays getting to the playoffs. He played well for them and he's a good player. But players like Andrew McCutchen, Gerritt Cole, Pedro Alvarez, Francisco Liriano, Jose Bautista, Josh Donaldson and David Price had much more to do with those teams' resurgences. Martin's 5 year/$82M deal through his age 36 season is going to make McCann's look like a bargain.

You're also overestimating Cervelli's talent. He's got 485 total bases ... In eight seasons.

 

Posada was pretty damn good for the World Series winners in 2009. In 2010, he was one of 10 catchers to make at least 450 PAs. He finished third in OBP and SLG. During a season in which he turned 39.

 

Marin was good for the Blue jays but let's not get carried away and say he turned around their franchise. That's crazy talk.

 

Cervelli didn't break out until he went to the Pirates because he spent five seasons behind Posada and ... wait for it ... Russell Martin! The guy you think the Yankees should have kept!

 

WAR is not be-all end-all but Martin's the last four seasons is double that of the Yankees' catchers. At some point it's not a coincidence. Nor is his presence on perennial losers that turn it around with him.

The Yankees weren't the only ones to whiff on Martin, whom most figured had been killed by Joe Torre in L.A. But they're the only ones to spend more than twice as much money in order to get half the WAR.

 

So it's OK they let two elite catchers go b/c one played behind the other?

 

I'd argue the latter is probably more coincidence than you care to admit.

Martin is a good player, but the Yankees didn't spent twice as much on McCann as what the Blue Jays spent on Martin. And the Yankees spent that money on McCann in his prime, while the Jays are saddled with that contract through Martin's age 36 season. As I said, McCann will end up a bargain compared to the contract the Jays gave Martin.

 

Elite? We're calling Cervelli elite now? And Martin is elite, with his .484 OPS? But McCann is not elite? I think we've gone off the rails now.

 

Pirates saw something they liked, no? They're not prone to throwing long-term extensions at guys. Hi OOP!

Cervelli had the second-highest OBP of any regular catcher last year. He has the second-highest OBP of any regular catcher this year. Yes. He has become elite

(Christ there hasn't been this much discussion of Russell Martin since he was dating Alyssa Milano)