Let me start by saying I think Russell Martin is a great baseball player, and signing him before the 2015 season was a great move, even if he’s expensive now. He’s been everything the Blue Jays have hoped he would be and arguably more, providing expert veteran guidance for a young pitching staff, excellent clubhouse leadership, and has chipped in admirably on offence as well. The Blue Jays simply don’t make the playoffs in either 2015 or 2016 without him.
There’s also the fact that he contributes at an solid rate on offence when it comes to catchers, bringing above average skills at the plate in addition to his value behind it.