RADIO
BALLER MOVE: Target ~175 Overall
ANALYSIS: Russell Martin hit .290/.402/.430 (all bests since 2007) and finished seventh among C in 2014, but is being ranked just 13th for 2015. I understand the skepticism among fantasy owners, but he did improve his BB% (12.8%) and K% (17%) in 2014 and was surrounded by a much-improved Pirates offense.
In Toronto, he’ll be plugged into the 2-hole in a lineup that averaged 4.46 runs per game in 2014 (5th in MLB), with protection coming in the form of Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and newcomer Josh Donaldson. The man he replaces, Melky Cabrera, produced a .288/.343/.440 line when batting 2nd in 2014, which, while not indicative of Martin’s performance, is a promising sign for things to come in front of JoeyBats. Martin will see steady playing time along with the added benefit of DH days to keep him fresh, and I firmly believe Martin will produce top 10 numbers. I would take him over fellow catchers Matt Wieters and Wilin Rosario.
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