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Fischer’s promotion bad sign for Martin staying?

By John Perrotto for The 2 min read

One of the reasons the Pirates will not have a bench coach next season is telling.

Brad Fischer was promoted to the major league coaching staff this week after three years as the organization’s minor league field coordinator in part because he is noted for his work with catchers.

Catching was the domain of bench coach Jeff Banister the past four seasons but he was hired as manager by the Texas Rangers last month. No one else on the Pirates staff has a catching background except manager Clint Hurdle, who was behind the plate for just 22 games during his 10-year career in the majors.

That is a clear sign the Pirates fear that free agent Russell Martin isn’t coming back after two seasons as their starting catcher.

The Chicago Cubs have struck quickly with Martin and, according to a person with direct knowledge of the situation, want to sign him to a four- or five-year contract then aggressively purse free agent pitchers Jon Lester, Max Scherzer and James Shields.

The Cubs feel Martin would be a stabilizing force, much like he was with the Pirates, as new manager Joe Maddon builds around a young core of players.

The Toronto Blue Jays also plan to make a strong play for Martin, a native of Canada.

Meanwhile, the Pirates are leaning toward pairing a veteran catcher — perhaps retaining backup Chris Stewart or signing free agent Nick Hundley — with a younger backstop — Tony Stewart or prospect Elias Diaz. That’s where Fischer comes into play.

The Pirates also flip-flopped first base coach Rick Sofield and third base coach Nick Leyva. Sofield also coaches baserunning, which will be point of emphasis in spring training despite the Pirates ranking fifth this year among the 30 major league teams in baserunning runs, a metric tracked at FanGraphs.com.

Instead of having a traditional bench coach, Fischer and fellow staff member Dave Jauss will handle those duties while Sofield and Leyva will also have increased responsibilities.

Class AAA Indianapolis manager Dean Treanor and minor league manager Tom Prince, who has been promoted to Class AA Altoona from high Class A Bradenton, were also considered for the position that went to Fischer.

“Everyone wants to do what’s best for the organization and I think the changes are going to energize everyone on the staff,” Hurdle said.

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