Dodgers' Martin mulling retirement

Russell Martin's time as a major leaguer could be coming to an end in the near future.

The Los Angeles Dodgers catcher, who's in the final season of his five-year contract, is considering the idea of walking away when it ends.

"I know I can do it physically. It’s going to be, 'Do I have the desire? Am I going to enjoy myself doing it?' I don't know," Martin told Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. "I'm going to have to see how this one plays out. I really enjoy the game - but I enjoy playing the game. I really like competing. Being on a team like this is fun, but if I wasn't on a winning team, I'd have to be really selective on where I would go.

"I'd have to have that perfect fit and who knows if that's going to be available. There are a lot of things that are going to come into play in the decision. This could possibly be my last year. I don't know. It could be. We'll see."

Last offseason, the Toronto Blue Jays traded the 36-year-old Martin to the Dodgers, where he began his career in 2006. The catcher played five years in Los Angeles during his first stint, making two All-Star teams in the process.

"It was kind of nice to get back to a place where it all started," Martin said. "Kind of crazy. When the Dodgers first non-tendered me (after the 2010 season), it was devastating. I was shocked. I hurt my hip and didn’t really know what was going to happen. … They made a business decision and I was gone. It always kind of stung a little bit because it was the first time in my life I had a 'We don’t want you anymore' kind of thing."

The 14-year veteran has also suited up for the New York Yankees and the Pittsburgh Pirates. For his career, Martin owns a .248/.349/.396 slash line with 189 home runs in 1,677 games. Defensively, he's thrown out 30 percent (365-for-834) of would-be base stealers.