Blue Jays' Martin will start at shortstop for Canada at WBC

Russell Martin is ready to try something new.

For the upcoming World Baseball Classic in March, the Toronto Blue Jays backstop will ditch the pads for a bit and instead start at shortstop for Team Canada, according to the Toronto Star's Richard Griffin.

"It’s like riding a bike, probably," Martin told Griffin. "The thing that's probably going to change is the speed of the game. As far as knowing where to be and positioning and all that stuff. Things have changed since the last time I played that position with the shifts and everything, so there's going to be some adjustments.

"In a short amount of time can I play shortstop? Yes. Put me wherever you want and I'll give you everything I've got."

Related: Blue Jays' Martin could shift to infield for Canada in WBC

Though Martin has never appeared at shortstop in his major-league career, he does have rare experience playing the infield. In April this past season, Martin was asked to fill in at third base in the ninth inning against the Boston Red Sox before appearing at second in a game against the New York Yankees in May.

Martin also infamously asked the national side to let him play shortstop in the 2013 edition of the WBC, before leaving the team after his request was denied.

"The dream as a kid for me was to be a shortstop in the big leagues. I grew up playing shortstop," Martin added. "Ozzie Smith was my favorite. Roberto Alomar was another one of my favorites. I had to learn how to catch.

"A lot of the things that I'm good at behind the plate was because I was an infielder. I had to work on the quick hands, transferring balls, footwork a little bit. But it’s what I learned first."