Catcher Russell Martin withdraws from Canada’s team at World Baseball Classic

Russell Martin has withdrawn from the World Baseball Classic, leaving Canada without its starting catcher.

Martin, who signed as a free agent with the Pittsburgh Pirates over the off-season, decided to remove himself from the team because he wasn’t going to be allowed to play shortstop.

According to Martin, both the Pirates and the Canadian team were uncomfortable with the Chelsea, Que., native switching positions for the upcoming tournament.

“They both were uneasy about that,” Martin told MLB.com, “and I simply didn’t want to catch.”

Martin signed to a two-year, US$17-million deal with Pittsburgh in November and was concerned about the physical wear and tear that comes with the tournament.

“It’s just too much grind,” he added. “The catcher’s out there the whole game, and it just takes your body so long to recover from catching 20 innings or so.”

Chris Robinson of Dorchester, Ont., is the only other backstop on the Canadian roster. Robinson plays for the Baltimore Orioles’ triple-A club.

“I feel sorry for (Canada), but sometimes you just have to look out for what’s best for you,” said Martin. “You have to make a personal choice. But I’m really sorry for how all this went down.”

Canadian players report for camp March 3 in Goodyear, Ariz., and open the tournament March 8 against Italy.