From the GM meetings
DANA POINT, Calif. -- The Red Sox need a catcher for now and the future, so there's been a lot of discussion about the possibility of a Sox-Rangers deal at some point this winter for a young backstop.
The Sox have scouted the Rangers quite a bit and certainly would love to get their hands on either Taylor Teagarden or Jarrod Saltalamacchia. The feeling is the Sox would try to make a deal even if they re-signed Jason Varitek.
The problem would be who Texas would want in return. With the Rangers in need of pitching, Clay Buchholz and Michael Bowden are names often heard on the Texas side. The Red Sox seem to know they would have to deal one of those pitchers to obtain a top-flight young catcher.
Saltalamacchia is more raw in terms of his catching than Teagarden but his physical upside is greater, according to one major league scout here at the GM meetings. Another scout said Saltalamacchia reminds him of a young Varitek at this stage in his development, with Saltalamacchia perhaps possessing a greater upside offensively.
Talks between the teams have been exploratory and preliminary at best, and the Sox may have some competition for the Texas backstops from Florida.
THEO: PLEASE GET A CATCHER - JASON IS GREAT WITH THE PITCHING
STAFF - HIS DAYS OF HITTING FOR AN AVERAGE, IS OVER. IT WOULD BE
NICE TO GET TEXIERA. WE MIGHT NEED ANOTHER STARTER, OR A LONG
RELIEF GUY. THEO, YOU KNOW WHAT WE NEED - GO FOR IT.
THANK YOU .........................................BUDDY IN CO/SPRINGS
Boston needs a catcher, but are they going to give up too much to get one? People are hyping some of these prospects as the future starters in Boston. Well, if that is true, then they can't give them all away.
If Tek thinks he's getting $10M again, he will be unemployed.
Saltalamaccia has the better physical upside? Why because he's 6-4? that seems awefully big for a catcher to me, sounds like a guy who will have knee problems before you know it and end up a first baseman. Pudge Rodriguez was 5-9, Posada and Tek are both 6-2, Teagarden is 6-1. Salts has just over 500 AB's in the majors and hasn't shown much. On the other hand, Teagarden has looked impressive, albiet just as a september call up. Teagarden will be 25 in December, Salts 24 in May. This is exactly the situation where you hope you have a good scouting department and wish for the best. I like teagarden
What happened to Luis Exposito in Portland. It seems to me from all reports that he is the catcher of the future for the Red Sox. He is big and strong with an excellent arm. Why not bring him up and give him a shot instead of giving away one of our top pitching prospects. It also seems that we are looking for the pie in sky instead of developing some the best talent that is stacked up in the minors that I have seen in years and that goes back to TED, Bobby D. and Dom Dimaggio
Three-way trade: After signing Mark Texeira, trade Lowell or Julio Lugo from Red Sox to Detroit, Nate Robertson or Dontrelle Willis from Detroit to Texas, Teagarden or Saltalamacchia from Texas to Red Sox.
Exposito is their best catching prospect but he just finished (very impressively) at High-A ball, in other words, if he starts out at AA Portland this season, he's at minimum a year a way. Theo needs to play hardball with Texas for one of their catchers but be prepared to move on if they won't budge on their asking price. They have Laird, Teagarden, Saltalamacchia and Max Ramirez; all either terrific prospects or ML ready right now. Problem is you can only play one of them; not like a 5-man pitching rotation. They'll most-assuredly be asking for Buchholz, Bowden or Masterson but Texas is the one with the glut at a position where only one can play. Pitching, especially young, inexpensive starting pitching, is the most valuable trading commodity in baseball.
I am baffled that this is even an issue and that Saltalacrappia is still considered a commodity. Teagarden is and always will be a great defensive catcher who handles a staff and can flat throw the pill. The thing that continues to mistify me is why he gets no respect for his offensive skills. TT has above average juice in his bat, has shown an ability to take quality at bats and hit the long ball at the big league level. Salty, has been nothing but sour in his time with the Rangers. He hasnt shown any juice and looks more like a heavyweight boxer behind the plate than a MLB catcher. Teagarden is the answer. Not Saltachlamidia
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