The New York Yankees saw a lot of change this offseason.  One of the biggest changes is who will be catching games for them in 2013.  Russell Martin left via free agency and signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Now, the Yankees will have to rely on Austin Romine.

Andrew Marchand of ESPN New York broke down the top reasons why Martin would be missed in New York.  Specifically, his toughness will be difficult to replace.  Martin is also a very good defensive catcher who has a game plan in mind while calling games.



Last season, Martin played in 135 games for the Yankees last season.  He is durable as far as catchers are concerned.  He has played in less than 125 games just twice in his career.

Overall, Martin's offense will be missed along with the reasons mentioned above.  Martin hit .211/.311/.403 last season.  It wasn't much, but he has shown he can have some pop from time to time.  In fact, last season Martin hit a career-high 21 home runs.  Now, the Yankees go into spring not knowing exactly what they'll get from their catcher.  They always knew what to expect from Martin.
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