It’s confirmed, Victor Martinez is a Tiger
For those who thought the rumours weren’t true got to find out first hand, that Victor Martinez officially joined the Detroit Tigers.
There were earlier reports linking the former Boston Red Sox catcher to the American League central ball club but none were confirmed by the franchise’s spokesperson till recently. The new recruit has been under some fiery spell at the moment.
His batting average was peaking at .302, last season and he added 20 home runs to prove his worth to the League analysts who saw him as an aging star.
Martinez led with 79 runs for Boston and helped them avail the 3rd position in the American League. It wasn’t easy to steer the veteran towards joining the Tigers as it took a phone call from MVP (Most Valuable Player) runner up, Miguel Cabrera
to set the star up for a contract signing, worth $50 million.
"He knew that we would have some freedom to do some things this wintertime", General Manager of the Tigers, Dave Dombrowski explained Cabrera’s role in the process. "And he had volunteered to me that anything he could do, don't hesitate to ask. When we had
identified that really our No. 1 individual that we would pursue in the middle of the line up was Victor, we reached out to Cabrera. So, he called (Martinez) and talked to him. And after we made the offer a week ago, he followed up asked if there was anything
he could do and really kept in touch".
The veteran will be a valuable asset down the pecking order and he could fit the Designated Hitter position to free up the other players in the roster. Nevertheless his inclusion in the side will help boost the club in the long run, when the next season
starts.
Martinez followed up on his take on the transfer saga that saw him move away from the Red Sox. He said, "I've been playing against Miguel for a long time, since winter ball here in Venezuela. I was playing against him when I was in Cleveland and he was already
in Detroit. He did make a few phone calls, and I expressed to him the desire that I want to make it happen and I want to go to Detroit, because I really see a great team. It is a great organization and a good team to build around the young talent. They give
me a chance to win”.
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