DUNEDIN, Florida – There is a fine line in this business, writing variations of the same story so often you begin to wonder if it will drive you crazy.

But this angle, this question about whether newly minted Blue Jays catcher Russell Martin will be able to handle R.A. Dickey's unorthodox knuckleball, greatly matters in the grand scheme of things.

If this experiment, which formally kicks off on Friday afternoon when Dickey makes his first Grapefruit League start, works, then the pressure to move Dioner Navarro for an asset and to create a roster spot for Josh Thole is lessened. More accurately, it's somewhat lessened. Navarro has made it clear he wants to be moved to a team for whom he'll be the starting catcher. As of this moment, that team doesn't exist.

If Jays brass determines Martin can't adequately catch Dickey then, for as long as Navarro isn't moved, the club will have to carry three catchers, severely limiting manager John Gibbons's options off the bench.

Martin has publicly expressed how mentally taxing the experience has been. To this point, he's only played catch, caught bullpen sessions and caught Dickey for one inning in the club's intra-squad game earlier this week.

Dickey has been supportive of Martin, expressing confidence that the catcher's athleticism will result in Martin getting the hang of the knuckleball in quick fashion.

It is fair to say this: The Dickey-to-Martin battery is not yet a sure thing and is very much a work in progress.

"We really just want to see him settle in and get used to it a little bit," said manager John Gibbons before Friday's game. "I thought he was fine with him the other day in that intra-squad. Repetition will do wonders for him. He's got great hands."

The final decision will fall to management and likely it won't be made until the end of spring. Expect Dickey to be asked to offer input, but the results will be as obvious to the decision-makers as they will be to the pitcher himself.

"You can just tell if he's handling most of them, keep it in the strike zone that tells you everything," said Gibbons. "I think Russell will be pretty honest with us. If he's battling, scuffling he's going to tell us. I mean, that's one spot you can tell when something's happening because he throws the pitch all the time. But I think he'll master it pretty good."

SAUNDERS PROGRESSING

Left fielder Michael Saunders, recovering from surgery to remove a torn meniscus in his left knee, played catch with head trainer George Poulis on Friday morning.

He's been up to more than that.

"He stood in when pitchers were throwing their bullpens so he was tracking some balls," said manager John Gibbons. "It's really surprising because we thought the first half, oh oh, but he's going along pretty good."