Martin Contract Talks On Hold

Via George King of The Post, Cash had this to say about tabling the Russell Martin contract extension talks:

"We will talk at the end of the season."

Both sides were willing to talk extension, which is the most important sign, but with both sides being far apart on the money it's better to not let this bleed into Spring Training and just address it at season's end.  Martin is already under contract for this year for $7.5 mil, which isn't exactly chump change, and the Yankees just showed this past offseason with CC Sabathia that they are good at working through deals and getting them done quickly.  So there really shouldn't be any concern at all about this; it's smart for each side.

Smart for the Yankees because they don't risk biting too early after a good sign season from Martin and getting stuck with him for more than they want to spend if he gets hurt again; now they can make him show them his comeback is real and earn the higher dollars.  Smart for Martin because he gets the chance to build on the positive momentum from 2011 and prove to the Yankees, and every other team, that he is back and capable of playing high-caliber baseball behind the plate.  At 29, he's still very much in his prime and will stand to get the type of money he's looking for and maybe then some from the Yankees or somebody else if he has a better 2012 than he did in 2011.