After being linked to the likes of Yan Gomes and J.T. Realmuto, the Los Angeles Dodgers addressed their need behind the plate by reuniting with Russell Martin roughly one month before pitchers and catchers reported for the start of Spring Training.
The Dodgers took a gamble on the his ability to bounce back from a disappointing 2018 campaign, which presumably was a factor in the Toronto Blue Jays sending the Dodgers $16.4 million as part of the trade — offsetting Martin’s impact on the collective balance tax. Though, the club also was bullish on his veteran presence and leadership skills.
“He checked all the boxes that I had hoped for. He’s prepared for whatever role that I have for him, he has really been a mentor and good teammate for Austin, he has earned and already has the respect of his teammates; some that he knew before, some that he didn’t know,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Martin.
“He’s continually wanting to learn how we do things as the Dodgers, which is great. So now you’re talking about the performance part. I think he’s still trying to learn the pitchers, which is a big part of being a catcher.
“And offensively, obviously he’ll say this, there’s not a whole lot of room to go down from his last season. But I will tell you this, it’s going to be considerably better than it was last year.”
Martin hit his first home run with the team on Friday, and has five hits in 12 at-bats thus far. The 36-year-old has additionally drawn five walks in 18 plate appearances and sports a .556 on-base percentage entering play Saturday.
Martin has done his part to form an effective catching tandem with Austin Barnes and he also made MLB history by working a 1-2-3 ninth inning to close out a blowout victory for the Dodgers. That type of commitment and willingness to do whatever is asked of him, prompted Roberts to recall their playing days.
“I played against him as he was a young rookie. Played every day; when he didn’t start at catcher, he played third base. He was kind of this gritty guy you didn’t really like from the other side but loved his athleticism,” the Dodgers manager said.
“He’s (still) sort of that same guy, and he takes that as a compliment. He hears that a lot, that guys that played against him hated him. But I’m happy he’s a Dodger again.”
