What's wrong with Victor Martinez?

[Althalius]

Is he just going through a slow start, a slump, is is it something worse? I heard he suspiciously signed a low contract with the Indians than he could have gotten immediately after all the steroid stuff came out. True?

[EK711]

He's obviously slumping badly, and I wish I could say what exactly was wrong with Victor. The power numbers were a nice surprise last year, but Victor has always been able to hit for average. As far as the contract goes he signed the largest ever for a catcher not yet eligible for arbitration. It also is Cleveland's biggest deal for a player not yet eligible for arbitration. Whoever/wherever you heard about it being a low contract was misinformed. Cleveland had been in talks with Victor and Hafner in the offseason trying to get them both signed to extensions, it just took a little while longer than expected. Victor will be making $5.7 million in 2009 with a $7 million option for 2010. That's a 4 or 5 year deal, and not exactly cheap.

[Iconoclastic]

It's strange how this year every single slumping player's slow start has been blamed on steroids.

[Pablo975]

True....not everyone who has a sophmore slump was on roids. Anyone remember the dreaded Joe Charbonneau curse???