11/9/14

Why the Pirates Should Re-Sign Russell Martin

There are multiple reasons why the Pirates should bring back Russell Martin. He will turn 32 in February, but Martin still has plenty of play left in him. Another reason why the Pirates should keep Martin is because of who is left on the team without him. The Pirates will have Chris Stewart and Tony Sanchez with Elias Diaz still in the minors. Sanchez has limited Major League experience, as he has only played in 48 games between the 2013 and 2014 seasons. In his brief tenure at the Major League level, Sanchez has a batting average of .252 with four home runs and 18 runs batted in. Sanchez has also caught four of 27 attempted base stealers for a 15% success rate. Chris Stewart was acquired in a trade with the New York Yankees last off season. In his first year with the Pirates, Stewart hit .294 with no home runs and 10 RBI in 49 games. Stewart also caught nine of 39 attempted base stealers for a 23% success rate. Diaz has yet to make it to the Major League level, but has moved up through the system quickly and finished the 2014 season in Triple-A Indianapolis. Another reason why the Pirates should re-sign the veteran backstop is that he is a strong leader on the team. He is always fired up for every game and he gets all of his teammates into the game. One final reason why the Pirates should bring back Russell Martin is because of the fans. Ever since the Pirates signed Martin after the 2012 season, he has brought so much to the Pirates and the city of Pittsburgh. He has helped the Pirates make it to the playoffs in back-to-back years and has been a fan favorite ever since he came to this city. These are my reasons of why Russell Martin should be back in a Pirates uniform on Opening Day 2015.