The band isn’t getting back together after all, and A.J. Ellis‘ status as the Dodgers’ primary is looking a bit safer today.

For the Dodgers, that was the takeaway when Russell Martin finalized a five-year, $82 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday.

Martin, 31, was the top catcher in a thin free-agent class coming off a strong season with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He spent his first eight professional seasons in the Dodgers’ organization, the final five (2006-10) at the major-league level.

The Dodgers had the money to sign Martin. So did the Chicago Cubs, who were considered the front-runners. Both clubs needed more offense from the position than they got in 2014. For the Dodgers, the question was whether to spend big on Martin or hope from a bounceback season from Ellis, who slashed .191/.323/.254 in 2014 at age 33.

Ellis is eligible for arbitration and still might not be tendered a contract. New general manager Farhan Zaidi has already given Ellis an informal vote of confidence.

There’s an inherent risk to signing Martin — specifically that his new club would overpay for the later years of the contract. FanGraphs.com argues that the money was on target considering Martin’s past performance, and it’s an interesting argument if you have the requisite faith in FanGraphs’ version of WAR.

Jon Paul Morosi of FoxSports.com argued that it was a necessary signing for a Toronto team that’s had a hard time attracting free agents. The Dodgers faced that spend-money mandate three years ago.

That was three years ago. This is now. It will be interesting to see what happens next.