NakamuraWhat Will Happen to the Red Sox Catching Position?
The Red Sox are young. They're "new". They're here for the long run. Pedroia, Youkilis, Lester, Beckett, Lowrie, Ellsbury. All very young. All locks for their positions. But what about the forgotten position? What about the catchers?
Jason Varitek has owned the role of starting catcher for so long, that it's hard to imagine the team without him. That is, until the start of this year, when Victor Martinez took over. But this offseason, V-Mart is due to hit the Free Agent market. Same goes for Varitek. And since Mauer signed a long term deal with Minnesota before the season, what happens now?
Option 1: Go Salty.
Jarrod
is a young catcher, acquired from Texas at the trading deadline. He is a big hitting prospect and could become a decent replacement for Tek and V-Mart. The only question is whether or not he's ready. I doubt Theo is willing to put the entire catching role in the hands of one young catcher.
Option 2: Solve it one step at a time, go with V-Mart
This is a highly likely option. Victor Martinez is not only a bat the can supply power, but is also versatile. Since he can move to 1st base, Saltalamacchia can still be the starting catcher if he proves to be up to the task. Martinez is
also by far the best catcher that will become a free agent.* So if the sox are to sign a catcher, it'll likely be V-Mart. If they are to sign V-Mart, the contract is most likely to be about four years in length. At 31, he may catch for another two to three years, but after that, expect him to move to first with Youkilis moving to third.
Option 3: Get young, FAST!
This is probably the most unlikely option. But, the Red Sox actually have a handful of young catchers in their farm system. They have Dusty Brown (28), Mark Wagner (26), and of course, Saltalamacchia (25). Regardless of what happens in the free agent market, these three will all get their chance in Spring Training. If one proves to be adequate, they may land the starting catcher role. If neither V-Mart or Varitek are re-signed, (and no other free agent is signed,) Dusty Brown is probably most likely to start full time. Salty's defense is too inconsistent to start everyday. But if it's just a part time job up for grabs, Saltalamacchia's practically got it in the bag.
Option 4: Re-sign Varitek
This is very likely to happen, but is almost certain to happen with a combination with one of the other 3 options. His leadership and knowledge is a very valuable asset to Boston's younger players.
*Other free agent catchers: Josh Bard, John Buck, Ramon Hernandez, Gerald Laird, Miguel Olivo, AJ Pierzynski, David Ross, Yorvit Torrealba, Jason Varitek (Red Sox), Gregg Zaun
What do you think? Who should be the Red Sox catcher in 2011? Also, if you have a topic you would like to have discussed, post it in the comments to this article, and I'll get to the topic as soon as possible. And remember, 2-3 articles every week in October and an INA article every Saturday. So remember to follow this blog and check back often!
Jason Varitek has owned the role of starting catcher for so long, that it's hard to imagine the team without him. That is, until the start of this year, when Victor Martinez took over. But this offseason, V-Mart is due to hit the Free Agent market. Same goes for Varitek. And since Mauer signed a long term deal with Minnesota before the season, what happens now?
Option 1: Go Salty.
Jarrod
Jarrod Saltalamacchia
Option 2: Solve it one step at a time, go with V-Mart
This is a highly likely option. Victor Martinez is not only a bat the can supply power, but is also versatile. Since he can move to 1st base, Saltalamacchia can still be the starting catcher if he proves to be up to the task. Martinez is
Victor Martinez
Option 3: Get young, FAST!
This is probably the most unlikely option. But, the Red Sox actually have a handful of young catchers in their farm system. They have Dusty Brown (28), Mark Wagner (26), and of course, Saltalamacchia (25). Regardless of what happens in the free agent market, these three will all get their chance in Spring Training. If one proves to be adequate, they may land the starting catcher role. If neither V-Mart or Varitek are re-signed, (and no other free agent is signed,) Dusty Brown is probably most likely to start full time. Salty's defense is too inconsistent to start everyday. But if it's just a part time job up for grabs, Saltalamacchia's practically got it in the bag.
Dusty Brown
Mark Wagner
Option 4: Re-sign Varitek
This is very likely to happen, but is almost certain to happen with a combination with one of the other 3 options. His leadership and knowledge is a very valuable asset to Boston's younger players.
Jason Varitek, the Captain
What do you think? Who should be the Red Sox catcher in 2011? Also, if you have a topic you would like to have discussed, post it in the comments to this article, and I'll get to the topic as soon as possible. And remember, 2-3 articles every week in October and an INA article every Saturday. So remember to follow this blog and check back often!
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