PITTSBURGH (93-7 The FAN) - The biggest issue the Pirates will face this offseason is what to do with, and whether or not they can re-sign their star catcher Russell Martin.  Today, we found out the first step the Pirates will take.

According to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com, the Pirates will be offering Martin the $15.3 million qualifying offer that ensures they'll receive a first-round pick in return from any team that signs Martin away.

Pirates General Manager Neal Huntington has talked in the past about how far they're willing to go to re-sign Martin, adding that, "we'll go beyond our comfort level to keep Russell Martin."

You can hear the audio of Huntington's interview with "The Cook and Poni" show from back in September when he addressed the Martin situation.

After hitting .290 in 111 games with 11 home runs and 67 RBIs last year, Martin has put himself in line for a major payday over the 2-year, $17 million deal he was playing under with the Pirates.

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