CINCINNATI - Halfway through Year 1 of his five-year contract, Russell Martin was asked if his Toronto experience was everything he was told it was going to be.
Both president Paul Beeston and general manager Alex Anthopoulos visited Montreal to recruit the free-agent catcher in his home city and made numerous phone calls before Martin agreed to a five-year $82-million US contract.
“They’re both real good talkers and they both talk a lot,” said Martin with a grin.
Selling points to Martin, besides the fifth year when the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs were offering four, was the proximity to his home of Montreal, the easy flight for his parents to Toronto Island airport and being someone young players in Canada could admire.