Pirates to make Martin $15.3M qualifying offer

The Pirates plan to extend the $15.3 million qualifying offer to star free-agent catcher Russell Martin, league sources said.

The Pirates made a multiyear offer to Martin sometime during the season, as was reported here, and are apparently serious in their efforts to try to retain Martin. The qualifying offer itself represents quite a raise for Martin, although a huge season has set him up to prosper in free agency.

Martin’s big season would seem to make the qualifying offer logical for Martin, but the Pirates, who don’t have revenue to match big-market teams, declined to offer A.J. Burnett the $14.1 million qualifying offer a year ago off his big season. (That may have been the right call since he could have accepted, and he wound up having a rough year for the Phillies, who paid him even more money.)

Pirates GM Neal Huntington said here several days ago they would try to do what they could to keep Martin, who hit .290 with 11 home runs and 67 RBI and also posted a .402 on-base percentage, which will make him attractive to several teams. Only a handful of players had a .400-plus on-base percentage. Martin is also known as an excellent receiver, pitch framer and thrower.

His old Dodgers team could be one of many teams that may show interest, with the Rangers and Cubs among other teams that may be looking for a catcher.

Martin signed a $17 million, two-year deal with the Pirates two winters ago off a .211 season with the Yankees, and it turned out to be a great move for the team.

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