A disastrous first half to the season hasn’t made Russell Martin unattractive to other teams now that he’s on the free agent market.
According to his agent, Matt Colleran, the catcher has met with several teams and gotten offers, although Colleran declined to specify which teams.
“We’re having talks with everybody,” Colleran said. “Everything is ongoing … Russell has made visits to multiple cities and received offers.”
The Yankees remain interested in retaining the 29-year-old Martin, who rebounded late in the season and provides stability behind the plate.
While Colleran wouldn’t say which teams have shown the most interest, he said the list of organizations thought to be looking at Martin was “pretty accurate.”
In addition to the Yankees, the Rangers are believed to be in need of a catcher, as well as the Mariners and Red Sox.
Boston had free agent Mike Napoli in for a visit over the weekend, although Napoli is not an every-day catcher.
Part of Martin’s appeal is a lack of available backstops on the market. A.J. Pierzynski is coming off a career year with the White Sox, but he is 36 and not as strong defensively.
And Colleran disputed reports that negotiations had, at one point, broken off between the Yankees and his client.
“There hasn’t been a break in the discussions,” Colleran said.
Last offseason, the Yankees spoke to Martin about a three-year deal worth roughly $20 million, but Martin didn’t pursue it. After his strong performance after the All-Star break, Martin is expected to fetch a contract worth at least that much, meaning the Yankees will have to go longer than one year, despite their goal of getting their payroll under $189 million by 2014.
They likely won’t have a choice because they don’t have a viable alternative within the organization. Austin Romine was injured much of last season, which hampered his progress.
* The Yankees avoided arbitration with catcher Eli Whiteside by signing him to a one-year deal yesterday after claiming him off waivers from the Giants earlier this month. The 33-year-old went 1-for-11 with San Francisco last season and is a lifetime .215 hitter.
— Additional reporting by George A. King III.