DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS
ATLANTA — A weekly feature aimed at rounding up a whole lot of odds and ends from a whole lot of time spent around our local teams …
• Every time Neal Huntington speaks a syllable about Russell Martin, it’s being parsed like a State of the Union speech or, more oddly, being portrayed as hyperventilating hot news. But the reality is that not a solitary facet of this story has changed over the course of the summer.
And that’s the real story.
When I reported in mid-August that the Pirates had not approached Martin with an extension offer, it kind of stirred the nests in either camp. That happens a lot in this business. A story you put out one day will lead to even more information coming loose, often volunteered, because the various parties will have a reaction and want to make their perspective known.
Well, the first result of that one was finding out that the team’s front office had a meeting at some point this summer to discuss Martin and what it would take to keep him. I don’t know if terms were determined, but I do know that the resolution was that they were going to go above and beyond with an offer. That was in this piece, and it’s been reinforced in the interim by strong language to that effect behind the scenes. They’re serious. Whether people believe that or not isn’t my concern. I know the parties involved. I’ve known them for a long time. I can tell you they’re not putting up a smokescreen.
On the other side, I’ve had communication with both Martin and people in his professional camp, and the feeling there is that they’ll listen to any offer the Pirates eventually make. Here, too, I have no cause to doubt their sincerity. But I also have a hard time fathoming, based on vibes from them, that their plan doesn’t involve testing free agency unconditionally. They know what the market will be. Believe me, they know. So they’ll have a really good perspective well before free agency as to whether or not the Pirates’ offer, no matter what we think of it in Pittsburgh, will be in same solar system as what the Dodgers, Cubs or someone else will offer.
I’ll repeat my own numbers for what I’d see as a fair, beyond-comfort-level figure to keep Martin: It’s four years and $60 million. He’d match Yadier Molina, the game’s best catcher in most eyes, in salary. And he’d get a term a year shy of what the Yankees gave Brian McCann.
• People ask why the Pirates haven’t made any offer yet. I don’t understand why no approach was made last spring, when his value was pretty clear. That doesn’t make sense. But I do understand not doing it right now. Picture the negative fallout — for both parties — if an offer were made now and rejected. That’s a distraction neither the team nor the player would want with the team still playing.
• Martin had no interest in coming out of that game Wednesday. None.
• No contract offer has been made yet to Edinson Volquez, either, per what I’m told. And one would think he’d be pretty high on the priority list, as well.
• Don’t say this too loudly, but Cody Wallace graded really well on the Steelers’ offensive line, and it was noticed by the coaches. Not suggesting he’ll supplant Ramon Foster. Won’t happen. But count on it that he’ll be in there at times Sunday against the Bucs.
• The Pirates continue to hit new peaks in TV ratings for the season, achieving a max-point 18.9 on Root near the end of the playoff clincher here on Tuesday. But to maintain perspective, that’s still, remarkably, half of what the Steelers averaged for their game in Charlotte the other night.
• Beau Bennett’s strong early preseason — looking smooth alongside Brandon Sutter for what might be a legit two-way third line, and even manning the point on the five-on-three — won’t mean a thing if he can’t stay on the ice. That’s not me talking in this case. That’s the Penguins’ view. An athlete crosses the line from being unlucky to brittle in a hurry. You can only ask someone to pack on extra bulk so many times.
• My sense from talking to a few fellow members of the Baseball Writers Association of America is that there’s a great distaste for voting Clayton Kershaw as MVP … but that he probably forced their hand with his historic season. That’s too bad for Andrew McCutchen and Giancarlo Stanton, obviously, but I can’t argue it. MVP is supposed to go to the best player. Kershaw’s the best performer at the most important position.
And no, I don’t have our chapter’s MVP vote this year. Almost always goes to the daily beat guys, as it absolutely should.
• Among the most enthusiastic celebrants Tuesday: Pedro Alvarez. Always a team player.
• Simon Despres in a spirited slugfest Thursday night?
You bet.
“I’m not assuming I’m on this roster,” he told me earlier in the week. “I’m going to do whatever I have to do to make this team. That’s all I’m thinking about.”
• The Steelers love Justin Brown. Teammates, coaches, you name it. Blocks like a beast.
Asked Brown the other day how he feels about being accepted so quickly: “It’s an honor to play for this organization and with these players. That’s how I feel about it.”
The shame so far is that Brown has done everything well except catch the football, an area in which he’d drawn raves out at Latrobe. It’ll come.
• Good dude: Neal Huntington. We haven’t always seen eye to eye on baseball ops and moves, to put it mildly, but it’s impossible to conceive a negative thought about the man.
• Apologies for being so baseball-heavy this week, but that’s where I spent the bulk of the time. And on that note, I can share that one excellent individual in the clubhouse walked by the big TV monitor as it flashed that Milwaukee had lost and muttered: “Stick a fork in ’em.”
Nothing like a quality rivalry.
September 26, 2014
Friday Insider: Real story on Russ, Part XXVII
by Dejan Kovacevic • Friday Insider • Penguins, Pirates, Pitt, Steelers
• Every time Neal Huntington speaks a syllable about Russell Martin, it’s being parsed like a State of the Union speech or, more oddly, being portrayed as hyperventilating hot news. But the reality is that not a solitary facet of this story has changed over the course of the summer.
And that’s the real story.
When I reported in mid-August that the Pirates had not approached Martin with an extension offer, it kind of stirred the nests in either camp. That happens a lot in this business. A story you put out one day will lead to even more information coming loose, often volunteered, because the various parties will have a reaction and want to make their perspective known.
Well, the first result of that one was finding out that the team’s front office had a meeting at some point this summer to discuss Martin and what it would take to keep him. I don’t know if terms were determined, but I do know that the resolution was that they were going to go above and beyond with an offer. That was in this piece, and it’s been reinforced in the interim by strong language to that effect behind the scenes. They’re serious. Whether people believe that or not isn’t my concern. I know the parties involved. I’ve known them for a long time. I can tell you they’re not putting up a smokescreen.
On the other side, I’ve had communication with both Martin and people in his professional camp, and the feeling there is that they’ll listen to any offer the Pirates eventually make. Here, too, I have no cause to doubt their sincerity. But I also have a hard time fathoming, based on vibes from them, that their plan doesn’t involve testing free agency unconditionally. They know what the market will be. Believe me, they know. So they’ll have a really good perspective well before free agency as to whether or not the Pirates’ offer, no matter what we think of it in Pittsburgh, will be in same solar system as what the Dodgers, Cubs or someone else will offer.
I’ll repeat my own numbers for what I’d see as a fair, beyond-comfort-level figure to keep Martin: It’s four years and $60 million. He’d match Yadier Molina, the game’s best catcher in most eyes, in salary. And he’d get a term a year shy of what the Yankees gave Brian McCann.
• People ask why the Pirates haven’t made any offer yet. I don’t understand why no approach was made last spring, when his value was pretty clear. That doesn’t make sense. But I do understand not doing it right now. Picture the negative fallout — for both parties — if an offer were made now and rejected. That’s a distraction neither the team nor the player would want with the team still playing.
• Martin had no interest in coming out of that game Wednesday. None.
• No contract offer has been made yet to Edinson Volquez, either, per what I’m told. And one would think he’d be pretty high on the priority list, as well.
• Don’t say this too loudly, but Cody Wallace graded really well on the Steelers’ offensive line, and it was noticed by the coaches. Not suggesting he’ll supplant Ramon Foster. Won’t happen. But count on it that he’ll be in there at times Sunday against the Bucs.
• The Pirates continue to hit new peaks in TV ratings for the season, achieving a max-point 18.9 on Root near the end of the playoff clincher here on Tuesday. But to maintain perspective, that’s still, remarkably, half of what the Steelers averaged for their game in Charlotte the other night.
• Beau Bennett’s strong early preseason — looking smooth alongside Brandon Sutter for what might be a legit two-way third line, and even manning the point on the five-on-three — won’t mean a thing if he can’t stay on the ice. That’s not me talking in this case. That’s the Penguins’ view. An athlete crosses the line from being unlucky to brittle in a hurry. You can only ask someone to pack on extra bulk so many times.
• My sense from talking to a few fellow members of the Baseball Writers Association of America is that there’s a great distaste for voting Clayton Kershaw as MVP … but that he probably forced their hand with his historic season. That’s too bad for Andrew McCutchen and Giancarlo Stanton, obviously, but I can’t argue it. MVP is supposed to go to the best player. Kershaw’s the best performer at the most important position.
And no, I don’t have our chapter’s MVP vote this year. Almost always goes to the daily beat guys, as it absolutely should.
• Among the most enthusiastic celebrants Tuesday: Pedro Alvarez. Always a team player.
• Simon Despres in a spirited slugfest Thursday night?
You bet.
“I’m not assuming I’m on this roster,” he told me earlier in the week. “I’m going to do whatever I have to do to make this team. That’s all I’m thinking about.”
• The Steelers love Justin Brown. Teammates, coaches, you name it. Blocks like a beast.
Asked Brown the other day how he feels about being accepted so quickly: “It’s an honor to play for this organization and with these players. That’s how I feel about it.”
The shame so far is that Brown has done everything well except catch the football, an area in which he’d drawn raves out at Latrobe. It’ll come.
• Good dude: Neal Huntington. We haven’t always seen eye to eye on baseball ops and moves, to put it mildly, but it’s impossible to conceive a negative thought about the man.
• Apologies for being so baseball-heavy this week, but that’s where I spent the bulk of the time. And on that note, I can share that one excellent individual in the clubhouse walked by the big TV monitor as it flashed that Milwaukee had lost and muttered: “Stick a fork in ’em.”
Nothing like a quality rivalry.