Victor Martinez
Five-time All-Star Victor Martinez, 39, is crawling to the finish line of his career. It's not pretty.
He's batting .236. He hasn’t hit a home run since May 19, and doesn’t have an extra-base hit since June 15. And you'd be hard-pressed to find any major leaguer who runs slower to first base.
It's time for Martinez to step aside, Detroit News columnist Bob Wojnowski writes:
It’s hard to watch. Victor Martinez takes his swings and trudges dutifully to first as he gets thrown out. Again and again, he hits the ball into the defensive shift, cursed by analytics and defeated by time.
These are the final snapshots of a great career, and the Tigers seem willing to let Martinez complete the picture. But in their effort to be respectful, they’re contributing to an undignified conclusion. And if they won’t make the difficult decision to sit Martinez down, the proud pro should do it himself.
This is not some angry, urgent demand. It’s a simple plea.
Martinez, 39, was too good for too long to go out like this, an aging shell on a rebuilding team, his formidable career numbers gradually diminishing. He doesn’t necessarily have to walk away, but his role should be drastically reduced. Or perhaps Martinez and the team can negotiate a graceful exit sometime after the All-Star break.
Wojo notes that there's no financial advantage to cutting him since the Tigers owe the rest of his $18-million contract this year. But there's a competitive advantage because of his poor performance.
