Pirates notebook: GM Huntington says team will stretch payroll to retain Martin
ATLANTA — In part because of Russell Martin's impending free agency, the Pirates are reevaluating their payroll allocation models. Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said the club is prepared to “stretch beyond our normal comfort zone” to retain Martin.
Huntington told the Tribune-Review on Wednesday the front office is re-evaluating how they distribute payroll and what their maximum limit is for a paying a single player.
Last offseason, Huntington cited a study conducted by the Cleveland Indians when he was working in their front office. The Indians found no club committing 18 percent or more of its payroll to one player had won a World Series. The study was done a decade ago, and Huntington is not sure if it remains accurate. Still, it had some influence in the team's decision-making process when negotiating with A.J. Burnett last offseason.
Eighteen percent of the Pirates' Opening Day payroll this season was $12.9 million. The Pirates offered Burnett $12 million to return.
“It could be outdated,” said Huntington of the 18 percent allocation benchmark. “We are reevaluating all of our benchmarks as we go for forward and prepare (for free agency), even benchmarks we established last year or even two years ago. Certainly the payroll percentage is one we are going to reevaluate.”
One internal financial maxim that will remain constant is this: The Pirates believe they have to pay players for future projected performance, not past performance. Martin will be 32 in February.
“(Martin) even exceeded our expectations because of the offensive production,” Huntington said. “There are other clubs in other markets don't have to worry about the extra years, or the extra two or four or six million dollars to get a deal done. … That's the realities of the market and the market size. It's not the first time we've faced, and it is not the last time we will face it.”
Snider stakes claim to RF
Travis Snider quietly has taken over the lion's share of playing time in right field.
Snider has started 13 of the Pirates' past 14 games, mostly in right, and was elevated to the cleanup spot in the batting order Wednesday. Snider even started against a left-hander, Alex Wood, on Tuesday, and he homered. Snider entered Wednesday with a .851 OPS in the second half of the season.
Snider has cited a more “professional plan” in batting practice as part of the reason for his improvement.
“I think early in my career I put a lot of emphasis on batting practice and forgetting to control the controllables,” Snider said. “I'm the type of guy who can hit home runs all day in batting practice, but that doesn't meant they are going to translate. I've been more focused on my plan in BP.”
It's carried over to game action and what he considers a successful plate appearance.
“Even if you don't get a hit, four or five foul balls and you tire (the starter) out a little bit … you get into the bullpen (earlier),” Snider said. “We've done a much better job this year going up there and not giving at bats away.”
Cole pitching through blister
Gerrit Cole dealt with a blister during his start Tuesday night, with blood visible on his pitching hand. The good news is the blister is not on his fingertip and does not prevent him from throwing.
“It's (from) when he digs in and how he throws his changeup. It's on the outside, not even near a fingertip,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “He's had it every year that I've been with him. … It can look like there's some sort of issue going on (with the blood), but it's not really pitching-related.”
Morton done for year
As expected, Charlie Morton (hernia) is done for the season as he was placed on the 60-day DL by the club Wednesday. Morton's injury did not improve as he had hoped, and he was to meet with specialists this week.
The Pirates claimed right-handed pitcher Chaz Roe off waivers from New York Yankees. Roe was the Colorado Rockies' first-round pick in 2005, though he has logged just 25 innings at the major league level.
Hurdle likes 2nd wild card
“The (second wild card) has turned out to be beneficial for so many different reasons. ... Look at the drama now. It's fantastic,” Hurdle said. “I love the fact now that division championships are won appropriately and you've got to work your backside off if you come in as a wild card.”
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Follow us: @triblive on Twitter | triblive on Facebook Not sure I follow the thinking behind the 18% rule, but this team MUST sign Martin. I also think Pedro becomes an historical footnote, so that frees up money. The 3rd pc of the puzzle, then, is Liriano. I think he deserves to be resigned.
Originally Posted by exNCite
This quote is hidden because you are ignoring this member. ://">://" onclick="kh99_iqts_show('340510_1'); return false;">Show Quote Not sure I follow the thinking behind the 18% rule, but this team MUST sign Martin. I also think Pedro becomes an historical footnote, so that frees up money. The 3rd pc of the puzzle, then, is Liriano. I think he deserves to be resigned. I think the 18 percent rule makes sense.
We need to resign Walker too, he's up for arbitration ( which I don't really understand).
As soon as we resign Martin I'm ordering a new jersey.
Martin is valuable mostly because how he handles the pitchers and calls the game. At this point, he is unmatched in that category.
His offensive production is a bonus.
The biggest thing to remember is his age. Most catchers start to decline after 30. Martin is in top physical shape, but to expect his production and health to stay at this level is unreasonable.
The Pirates, however, must resign him and hope for the best. Stewart has shown some ability as a fill in, but he is not Russell Martin.
Take last nights start for example.
Jeff Lock wasn't very effective. And a lot of that had to do with the game calling abilities of Stewart.
