I havn’t updated in a long while, over a year. Once Marte was traded and the shortened season, my hopes for the near future died.. but…

Despite some recent catcher signings backup catcher is still a question. As with last off season Russell Martin is still a fair choice.

His bat is gone and his defense isn’t the gold glove caliber it was before. His knowledge is vast and improved the pitchers while he was here. Having him on the bench would be a serious boost for the younger guys and pitching staff.

Another bonus to having Russell on the roster is that you have more of an option to trade Stallings. Even with his decline I would have no problem putting him out there every 3-5 days or everyday if there is an injury. More so given the team isn’t looking to be a contender for a couple years.

Russell should also be “cheap” He has made his money and should recognize his decline. Offering Russell a $1-3 Million deal as a player coach with bonuses for starts and plate appearances seems overly reasonable.

You would be hard pressed to find a recent MLB catcher to be a catching coach with his knowledge of the zone and the ability to work with pitchers.