Checking in at the V-Mart: A look at Victor Martinez' value

Victor Martinez is one of the best hitting catchers in major league history. Yet it remains to be seen whether the Red Sox — or anyone else — will pay him like one.

That issue has assumed heightened importance in recent days. A report that emerged on Monday that Joe Mauer and the Twins were close to signing a 10-year deal now appears premature. Even so, while several subsequent reports have suggested that no deal is at hand, there still appears to be a consensus that a deal between the Minnesota native and his hometown team is likely. 

Mauer would be eligible for free agency after the 2010 season. If the reigning American League MVP chooses not to make himself the subject of a massive bidding war between the Sox, Yankees and any number of other clubs, that has significant implications for the Red Sox and Martinez.

With Mauer out of the mix, Martinez’ career suggests that he is the obvious standout in next winter’s free agent catching class that otherwise features a group with significant offensive limitations. Indeed, after his first six full seasons in the majors, the 31-year-old could be one of the top offensive catchers to reach free agency in the last 20 years.

MARTINEZ IN CATCHING CONTEXT

Once he came to the Red Sox from the Indians at last year's trade deadline, Martinez immediately became a difference-making bat. The switch-hitter hit .336 with a .405 OBP, .507 slugging mark, .912 OPS and 41 RBI in 56 games. He was a force hitting in the third spot in the lineup, something that continued a career-long trend.

Since 1901, there have been 117 catchers (defined as players who spent at least half of their games squatting behind the plate) with at least 2,500 plate appearances through their age 30 seasons. Among those, Martinez ranks 10th with an .837 OPS.

Of the nine players in front of him, five are Hall of Famers (Mickey Cochrane, Bill Dickey, Gabby Hartnett, Carlton Fisk, Yogi Berra) and two (Mauer and Mike Piazza; three if Joe Torre is included) have a good shot at following suit.

Part of that ranking reflects the offensive era in which Martinez plays. Even so, measured by OPS+ (which measures a catcher’s OPS against league average), the three-time All-Star still holds up well. Martinez has a 121 OPS+ (meaning that he his OPS has been 21 percent higher than league average in his career), which ranks 17th all-time among catchers through their age 30 seasons.

Of the 16 players in front of him, nine are in the Hall of Fame, and two more (Mauer and Piazza, three if Torre is included) seem likely to end up there.

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SO WHAT’S THAT WORTH?

Assuming that he doesn’t sign an extension with the Sox, Martinez will reach free agency after the 2010 season with a history of offensive production and at an age that is rare for catchers.

The last catcher to reach the open market who was younger and a better hitter than Martinez was Mike Piazza. The mulleted one, armed with a ridiculous 160 career OPS+ after his age 29 season, received a seven-year, $91 million deal from the Mets.

Piazza may have been the best hitting catcher in major league history, however. Martinez will not be able to use him as a comp.

Mauer’s expected deal with the Twins, meanwhile, will likely be viewed as a one-of-a-kind phenomenon, just as Mauer is a one-of-a-kind player. Mauer, after all, led the American League in hitting (and now has three batting titles — or one more than all other catchers had won in modern baseball history), OBP, slugging and OPS in 2009. Moreover, Mauer has won two straight Gold Gloves. Again, he’s in a separate class from Martinez (or other humans).

There are a handful of contracts that provide a more likely basis of comparison should Martinez reach free agency as a catcher (the only other multi-year deals of at least $10 million a year for catchers in major league history):

Jorge Posada, Yankees: 4 years, $52.4 million ($13.1 million AAV)

Re-signed as a free agent for ages 36-39 (2008-11)

Career stat line when signed: .277/.381/.479/.860,