Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons is planning to let veteran catcher Russell Martin manage the Jays' final game of the 2018 season against the Tampa Bay Rays.
John Gibbons says Russ Martin will manage the #BlueJays in Sunday’s season finale. “Let him have fun with it,” Gibbons said.
— John Lott (@LottOnBaseball) September 29, 2018
After 11 seasons spread over two managerial stints in Toronto, Gibbons was officially let go by the Blue Jays this past Wednesday. The Blue Jays will finish well under .500 this season, and are currently 73-87.
Gibbons already said his goodbyes to the city of Toronto and the fans when the Blue Jays played their final home game of the season on Wednesday. So, maybe passing the managerial duties to Martin is Gibbons' way of trying to slowly ease his exit as the Blue Jays' manager? Or, it's just an odd stunt. Either way, it could still be meaningful for Martin.
This season, the 35-year-old has embraced the role of catching mentor for the Jays rookie catching duo of Danny Jansen and Reese McGuire. Martin's playing time dwindled in the last month of the season. He hasn't appeared in a game since Sept. 3 and he has spent more time watching from the dugout.
