Add catcher to the list of offseason needs for the Yankees.I can't say I'm surprised the Yankees let him walk with that kind of money being offered. Honestly, he's just not worth it. That being said, the catching market is pretty non-existent so it's going to be interesting to see who they can replace him with.
In a move that came as a surprise to many, a club source said Russell Martin agreed to a two-year deal with the Pirates early Thursday night. The deal is reportedly worth $17 million.
While there were reports the Yankees had made their own two-year offer, the source said the club never made an offer of any kind.
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Currently, the Yankees have Francisco Cervelli, who spent the majority of last season at Triple-A, light-hitting Chris Stewart and Austin Romine as their options. Romine, once one of the organization's blue-ribbon prospects, missed most of 2012 with a back injury. His defense is considered major league-caliber, but his bat is suspect
The free-agent market is thin, led by Mike Napoli and A.J. Pierzynski. But both are likely to command dollars similar to what Martin did, dollars the Yankees have made clear to this point -- at least at catcher -- they're not willing to commit.
However, Jon Heyman reports that the Yankees did offer Martin 2 years for somewhere around $12 to $14 million. Also, the Dodgers have emerged as a potential suitor for A.J. Pierzynski so his name may come off the board pretty soon as well.