|
Martinez is only 27, is he really breaking down already? Was he even arbitration eligible yet this offseason? His defensive stats are all above average, does he call a good game? IMO, it's such a boost to have a catcher that can put up an 850 OPS that it seems wastefull to convert him to a 1B before he needs to be put there. The tribe's 1Bs don't look good but there has to be something better that they can do.
Catching is a tough position. I don't think it would be all that wise to expect a rookie to be a starting catcher on a contending team. Martinez has caught too many games the last two years, they might be better off keeping Martinez there and letting Shoppach be his backup (let Martinez catch no more than 120 games).
|