Buster Olney of ESPN is reporting that the New York Yankees will now take an aggressive approach in signing free agent catcher Russell Martin.
The Red Sox were originally favored to land Martin, but after the Carl Crawford deal the Yankees have stepped up their efforts to try and sign him.
Martin would see plenty of playing time in New York, as Jorge Posada would likely play more DH and young talent Jesus Montero would remain in the minors.
The Yankees have already watched the Boston Red Sox trade for first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and sign the aforementioned Crawford; they are not going to sit back and let their rivals improve even more.
The Red Sox have been in need of a catcher since losing Victor Martinez to free agency, so this would be a smart move for the Yankees to improve their roster and keep Martin away from Boston.
Martin spent five years with the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he batted .272 with 54 home runs and 300 RBI. Last season he batted .248 with five home runs and 26 RBI in 97 games.
The Toronto Blue Jays are also in the mix for Martin, along with another unidentified team.
A decision on Martin is expected within the next few days.
Source: Buster Olney on Twitter
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