ORLANDO, Fla. – Russell Martin(notes) turned away from the Los Angeles Dodgers because they insisted on cutting his guaranteed salary from the $5.05 million he was paid in 2010. The Dodgers’ final offer was a guaranteed $4.2 million with incentives worth from $1.5 million to $1.7 million if he played in 125 games, a source said. Martin wanted a guaranteed $5.5 million, a raise of nearly 10 percent. The decision to non-tender the team’s starting catcher of the past five seasons was gut-wrenching for general manager Ned Colletti, even though others in the front office had fewer qualms about letting Martin go because of his declining production and recent hip surgery. “Ned said it was the most difficult decision he’s made as a GM, and you could tell he was sincere about that,” one source said. Martin, 27, is recovering from a broken right hip and isn’t able to run yet, let alone begin baseball activities. Nevertheless, the Dodgers kept their offer on the table beyond the non-tender deadline and the signing of free-agent catcher Rod Barajas(notes), suggesting that Martin could return in a super-utility role. Although the idea intrigued Martin, he declined and is on the free-agent market. The New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Colorado Rockies have studied his medical records, but a source said it is doubtful he will get the money the Dodgers offered because it is unclear whether he can still be an everyday catcher. None of the teams he has been linked to are in the market for a full-time catcher. Martin’s steep decline in offensive production is what prompted the Dodgers to non-tender him. In 2007, his first full season, he had 18 home runs, 21 stolen bases and an OPS of .843. He was an All-Star in 2007 and 2008, and it appeared as if he would be the rare catcher who could hit with power and run well. His flexibility behind the plate was another plus. But Martin’s production began to wane during the second half of 2008 and plummeted each of the last two seasons. His OPS was .689 in 2010, his power and speed having dropped below average. The injury occurred while scoring on a sacrifice fly in early August. Reasons for the decline are cloudy. He caught nearly 300 games during his two All-Star seasons, manager Joe Torre rarely giving him a day off. And Martin dropped a significant amount of weight before the 2009 season but gained some of it back before 2010. “It’s a shame because the organization was totally invested in Russell Martin,” a source said. “He was a cornerstone of the franchise, then seemingly overnight he wasn’t. It’s still a shock he’s gone.” http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=sh-martinoffer120710 --

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