On November 30, 2012, the Pittsburgh Pirates signed catcher Russell Martin to a two-year, $17 million contract. This signing turned out to be one of, if not the best Pirates signing in the 2010 decade. Martin was signed for his defense, but he provided more offense than you could have hoped for.
In 2013, Martin hit .226/.327/.377 with a 100 OPS+ and 102 wRC+ in 506 plate appearances. He also crushed 15 home runs, and walked 11.5% of the time. Martin came through in the clutch multiple times through the season, indicated by his .