A weekly feature aimed at rounding up a whole lot of odds and ends from a whole lot of time around our local teams …
• The Pirates know what Russell Martin will cost, at least as it relates to term, and that’s four years, according to my sources. So start any debate about whether or not the team can/can’t, should/shouldn’t sign him right there.
And if one applies that term to the $15.3 million salary he’s guaranteed to make in 2015 per the qualifying offer the Pirates will make — a no-brainer which, hilariously, was presented as headline-worthy by one national outlet in the past week — that projects to pretty much the same four years and $60 million you’ve seen me type in this space for three months now as the most likely figures.
That’s it. That’s the price tag. At least, it’s the one that’s going to be seen as the market rate.
And all this gears up, ready or not, as early as next week. Five days after the World Series ends.
For some background: I’ve written that, if this front office steps up with an offer of four years and $60 million for a 30-year-old catcher coming off a career offensive season, I’m fine with that. And I’ll add here that nothing that this fall will change that in either direction. If someone else woos Martin away with more years, more guaranteed money — and know that a whole lot of teams can do exactly that without breaking a bead of sweat — I’m fine with that so long as the Pirates can be proven to have offered four and $60 million. And to the converse, if the Pirates don’t reach either of those figures and allow Martin to leave, I won’t be any more fine with it than what I expect the public will be. Which is only, oh, burn-down-the-stadium furious.
So what can the Pirates do to alter this?
If you ask me, they need to take Bob Nutting’s own words spoken to this site earlier this month and do exactly that: Stretch beyond their comfort zone, even if they consider that zone already blown out by the four-year, $60 million concept.
Let’s not kid anyone: Martin does love playing in Pittsburgh, and I’ve got little doubt based on intensive talks we had — including one after the wild-card loss — that if all things are equal, he’ll stay with the Pirates. I believe that wholly. But I also believe he needs to see a significant movement, something that really gives him pause, or he’s gone. And don’t take my word for it. Just remember that a few weeks back, he said, “I’m having a solid offensive and defensive year, and people are starting to recognize the defensive attributes of catchers more. It’ll be fun to see how important that is and how much people value that.” Note the future, rather than a conditional tense.
What kind of numbers does that entail?
Wow, can’t even guess. But I can add that this won’t be one of those contracts where the Pirates try to out-clever anyone. No gap will be bridged by performance bonuses or options or any other gimmickry. This needs to be based on cold, hard, guaranteed cash.
Good luck with that, gentlemen!
• Any further reports you see regarding Martin from that aforementioned national outlet — and there have been a couple — are coming from agent circles, not the Pirates. Just FYI.
• If it looks like Evgeni Malkin isn’t yet buying in, that’s because he isn’t. Not all the way. That’s all I’ll say on that one for now.
• NBC’s mostly deplorable coverage of the NHL — think Mike Milbury — has hit new lows of promotion with this ‘Wednesday Night Rivalry’ usage of the word “hate” in the TV spots and on social media.
In a world where there are 64 ongoing wars, maybe that isn’t the ideal word choice?
To the Penguins’ credit, they’re having nothing to do with this promotion, I’m told.
• Mike Johnston isn’t Dan Bylsma, Part XXVII: After their deplorable efforts in the second and third periods each of the past two nights, the Penguins will stay off the ice today in Nashville but it will be for an off-ice workout. There aren’t many of those in the NHL, to put it lightly, certainly not mid-season.
Funny, but there was grumbling from a very small percentage of the room during training camp about all of Johnston’s rink-length sprint drills. It appears he didn’t tick off nearly enough of them.
Might want to show the boys this scene while he’s at it:
• News flash: If the Penguins were sold on Marc-Andre Fleury as their goaltender of the future, they wouldn’t let him play through his final year on the contract. Jim Rutherford told ESPN.com’s Pierre LeBrun this week that Fleury will be there as long as he’s GM. Good reporting, riveting quote, but there’s no meat on that bone.
For one, Rutherford made a similar remark about Paul Martin in the summertime, then all but blew off any attempt to keep Martin in place despite Martin’s camp being more than amenable — at the time, anyway — to discuss that.
For another, decisions on franchise-level players get run all the way up the flagpole of the Penguins’ hierarchy. And if Mario Lemieux and/or Ron Burkle wanted Fleury signed, he’d be signed. They don’t. Not yet, anyway. They want to see exactly what the fan base wants to see, and you don’t need me to tell you what that is. And in the interim, Rutherford has everything to gain from a happy keeper.
• Simon Despres is mad. No idea at whom, but it’s a good thing, a healthy mad.
• Don’t think the Steelers didn’t notice those 9,000 unused tickets Monday night, something unthinkable not so long ago.
I described in this space last week how so many season-ticket holders don’t live around here and then, in turn, heard from a bunch of them that they are, in fact, unhappy with the team and unwilling to foot the bill for flights/hotels. And no, not everyone is savvy with online resales.
Anyway, the Steelers’ self-dubbed ‘Ticket Office’ sent an email Thursday to all season-ticket holders aimed at improving the Heinz Field fan experience, one of which was forwarded to me by a fan. Its opening lines: “We are pleased to announce the formation of the first-ever Pittsburgh Steelers Season Ticket Holder Advisory Council. As a valued Season Ticket Holder, you are invited to apply to join this Council, which will play an important role in guiding organizational decisions. This ten-member group will consist of Season Ticket Holders teaming up with the Front Office of the Pittsburgh Steelers to provide a fan’s perspective on topics related to the Fan Experience.”
Now, never mind the awkward wording or sentiment that somehow the ‘Front Office’ can be part of the team that offers input on fan perspective. What matters here is that the team is openly concerned and taking steps to address it.
No one will ask me — I’m neither a fan nor part of the ‘Front Office’ — but I’d hologram-tag each ticket. If those folks don’t show up or don’t turn them back in for resale, they lose their seat license.
Too harsh?
• You should see the penalties I have dreamed up for corporate writers who peculiarly capitalize words they wish to emphasize. As if that somehow Makes Their Point.
• Ross Ventrone is the safety the Steelers summoned two weeks ago from the practice squad and, from what I heard a couple days ago, the coaching staff is so delighted with his work on special teams that he’s held in high regard almost as much as gunner Antwon Blake. Which is saying a lot.
And what I’m saying here is don’t expect the next roster move to be all that easy, including if Ryan Shazier returns Sunday against the Colts.
• Good dude: Martavis Bryant. Takes the rookie hits — off the field — with the best of them.
• Not suggesting this means anything one way or the other, but Le’Veon Bell is one of the loudest young men you will encounter in any locker room anywhere. Shyness is not his thing.
• Landry Jones is acting out Andrew Luck in practice. That ought to help.
• I’ll be over at the Steelers’ practice today and promise more for the site this afternoon.
Malkin puts on clinic in All-Star skills show
12:01 am 
Steelers postseason breakdown: All 10 chapters
9:54 pm Saturday
St. Francis holds off Robert Morris, 90-72
9:33 pm Saturday
Colter, Mason shoot Dukes by St. Louis, 78-67
9:14 pm Saturday
October 24, 2014
Friday Insider: Four years or bust with Martin
by Dejan Kovacevic • Friday Insider • Pirates
Russell Martin, the Pirates’ catcher, can become a free agent as soon as next week. — GETTY IMAGES
• The Pirates know what Russell Martin will cost, at least as it relates to term, and that’s four years, according to my sources. So start any debate about whether or not the team can/can’t, should/shouldn’t sign him right there.
And if one applies that term to the $15.3 million salary he’s guaranteed to make in 2015 per the qualifying offer the Pirates will make — a no-brainer which, hilariously, was presented as headline-worthy by one national outlet in the past week — that projects to pretty much the same four years and $60 million you’ve seen me type in this space for three months now as the most likely figures.
That’s it. That’s the price tag. At least, it’s the one that’s going to be seen as the market rate.
And all this gears up, ready or not, as early as next week. Five days after the World Series ends.
For some background: I’ve written that, if this front office steps up with an offer of four years and $60 million for a 30-year-old catcher coming off a career offensive season, I’m fine with that. And I’ll add here that nothing that this fall will change that in either direction. If someone else woos Martin away with more years, more guaranteed money — and know that a whole lot of teams can do exactly that without breaking a bead of sweat — I’m fine with that so long as the Pirates can be proven to have offered four and $60 million. And to the converse, if the Pirates don’t reach either of those figures and allow Martin to leave, I won’t be any more fine with it than what I expect the public will be. Which is only, oh, burn-down-the-stadium furious.
So what can the Pirates do to alter this?
If you ask me, they need to take Bob Nutting’s own words spoken to this site earlier this month and do exactly that: Stretch beyond their comfort zone, even if they consider that zone already blown out by the four-year, $60 million concept.
Let’s not kid anyone: Martin does love playing in Pittsburgh, and I’ve got little doubt based on intensive talks we had — including one after the wild-card loss — that if all things are equal, he’ll stay with the Pirates. I believe that wholly. But I also believe he needs to see a significant movement, something that really gives him pause, or he’s gone. And don’t take my word for it. Just remember that a few weeks back, he said, “I’m having a solid offensive and defensive year, and people are starting to recognize the defensive attributes of catchers more. It’ll be fun to see how important that is and how much people value that.” Note the future, rather than a conditional tense.
What kind of numbers does that entail?
Wow, can’t even guess. But I can add that this won’t be one of those contracts where the Pirates try to out-clever anyone. No gap will be bridged by performance bonuses or options or any other gimmickry. This needs to be based on cold, hard, guaranteed cash.
Good luck with that, gentlemen!
• Any further reports you see regarding Martin from that aforementioned national outlet — and there have been a couple — are coming from agent circles, not the Pirates. Just FYI.
• If it looks like Evgeni Malkin isn’t yet buying in, that’s because he isn’t. Not all the way. That’s all I’ll say on that one for now.
• NBC’s mostly deplorable coverage of the NHL — think Mike Milbury — has hit new lows of promotion with this ‘Wednesday Night Rivalry’ usage of the word “hate” in the TV spots and on social media.
In a world where there are 64 ongoing wars, maybe that isn’t the ideal word choice?
To the Penguins’ credit, they’re having nothing to do with this promotion, I’m told.
• Mike Johnston isn’t Dan Bylsma, Part XXVII: After their deplorable efforts in the second and third periods each of the past two nights, the Penguins will stay off the ice today in Nashville but it will be for an off-ice workout. There aren’t many of those in the NHL, to put it lightly, certainly not mid-season.
Funny, but there was grumbling from a very small percentage of the room during training camp about all of Johnston’s rink-length sprint drills. It appears he didn’t tick off nearly enough of them.
Might want to show the boys this scene while he’s at it:
• News flash: If the Penguins were sold on Marc-Andre Fleury as their goaltender of the future, they wouldn’t let him play through his final year on the contract. Jim Rutherford told ESPN.com’s Pierre LeBrun this week that Fleury will be there as long as he’s GM. Good reporting, riveting quote, but there’s no meat on that bone.
For one, Rutherford made a similar remark about Paul Martin in the summertime, then all but blew off any attempt to keep Martin in place despite Martin’s camp being more than amenable — at the time, anyway — to discuss that.
For another, decisions on franchise-level players get run all the way up the flagpole of the Penguins’ hierarchy. And if Mario Lemieux and/or Ron Burkle wanted Fleury signed, he’d be signed. They don’t. Not yet, anyway. They want to see exactly what the fan base wants to see, and you don’t need me to tell you what that is. And in the interim, Rutherford has everything to gain from a happy keeper.
• Simon Despres is mad. No idea at whom, but it’s a good thing, a healthy mad.
• Don’t think the Steelers didn’t notice those 9,000 unused tickets Monday night, something unthinkable not so long ago.
I described in this space last week how so many season-ticket holders don’t live around here and then, in turn, heard from a bunch of them that they are, in fact, unhappy with the team and unwilling to foot the bill for flights/hotels. And no, not everyone is savvy with online resales.
Anyway, the Steelers’ self-dubbed ‘Ticket Office’ sent an email Thursday to all season-ticket holders aimed at improving the Heinz Field fan experience, one of which was forwarded to me by a fan. Its opening lines: “We are pleased to announce the formation of the first-ever Pittsburgh Steelers Season Ticket Holder Advisory Council. As a valued Season Ticket Holder, you are invited to apply to join this Council, which will play an important role in guiding organizational decisions. This ten-member group will consist of Season Ticket Holders teaming up with the Front Office of the Pittsburgh Steelers to provide a fan’s perspective on topics related to the Fan Experience.”
Now, never mind the awkward wording or sentiment that somehow the ‘Front Office’ can be part of the team that offers input on fan perspective. What matters here is that the team is openly concerned and taking steps to address it.
No one will ask me — I’m neither a fan nor part of the ‘Front Office’ — but I’d hologram-tag each ticket. If those folks don’t show up or don’t turn them back in for resale, they lose their seat license.
Too harsh?
• You should see the penalties I have dreamed up for corporate writers who peculiarly capitalize words they wish to emphasize. As if that somehow Makes Their Point.
• Ross Ventrone is the safety the Steelers summoned two weeks ago from the practice squad and, from what I heard a couple days ago, the coaching staff is so delighted with his work on special teams that he’s held in high regard almost as much as gunner Antwon Blake. Which is saying a lot.
And what I’m saying here is don’t expect the next roster move to be all that easy, including if Ryan Shazier returns Sunday against the Colts.
• Good dude: Martavis Bryant. Takes the rookie hits — off the field — with the best of them.
• Not suggesting this means anything one way or the other, but Le’Veon Bell is one of the loudest young men you will encounter in any locker room anywhere. Shyness is not his thing.
• Landry Jones is acting out Andrew Luck in practice. That ought to help.
• I’ll be over at the Steelers’ practice today and promise more for the site this afternoon.