The 31-year-old Canadian catcher's deal is worth $82 million.
The Toronto Blue Jays and catcher Russell Martin have a agreed to five year, $82 million dollar contract, according to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports. Martin's new deal makes him the third-highest-paid catcher in Major League Baseball, behind only Buster Posey and Brian McCann.
The 31-year-old had a career renaissance over the past two years with the Pittsburgh Pirates, hitting .290/.402/.430 in 2014 with 11 home runs and 67 RBI. He was excellent behind the plate, as well, leading all catchers with 12 defensive runs saved. Martin's 5.3 fWAR, among catchers, trailed only Jonathan Lucroy and Buster Posey
With Travis d'Arnaud entrenched as the starting catcher and Kevin Plawecki pushing for a major league promotion, the Mets were never likely to pursue Russell Martin. The Blue Jays are certainly taking a risk signing a 31-year-old to such a lengthy and high-paying contract, but Martin has been one of the premier catchers in the league over the past two years. While the team may have overpaid, they have also upgraded both their lineup and their infield defense.