I was in the middle of writing two papers for class when the Victor Martinez deal went down on Tuesday, but when I found out I tweeted a quick haiku on the matter:
Great Hitting Catcher
That won't catch for much longer.
Too many years. Meh.
I've since warmed a little bit more to the idea. For one, Victor Martinez will be a great addition to the ball club this year, and probably next. For two, he fill a big hole on this team (part time catcher) and has some versatility to spell Miguel Cabrera at first or play on a rotating basis at DH with Guillen.
The concern comes in with years 3 and 4, and my persistent fear that the Tigers are just setting them up for a Guillen/Sheffield situation, where the player sucks money from the team and hamstrings their roster flexibility.
Ultimately, I'm ok with the signing as long as it doesn't prevent them from signing Scherzer and Porcello down the road. If nothing else, VMart can fill the role off aging, offensively potent defensive liability player after Guillen leaves.
This confirms my statement from last week that the Tigers are building this team with a very defined window in mind. I'll let this idea marinate over Turkey and pie this evening, and try to spell it out tomorrow.
Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!
