There may be a match with the Rangers in the Reds pursuit of a catcher. The Rangers are looking to deal for young starting pitchers, which the Reds are loaded with, for a catcher. Below are some the comments from the article which suggests the Reds as a potential match for a trading partner.
The Rangers have a little something to offer anybody seeking catchers.
Want an experienced big league starter whose contract is still affordable and who would be under a club’s control for more than one year? There is Gerald Laird, who can’t become a free agent until after 2010.
Aren’t too worried about defense, but need some power and plate discipline? The Rangers can discuss Max Ramirez.
Want to gamble on a toolsy top prospect who has struggled at the major league level but has the potential to be a franchise catcher? That would be Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
The Rangers could deal all of them and still hold on to Taylor Teagarden, who hit .319 with a 1.205 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in September.
Other scenarios could have the Rangers holding another catcher and discuss Teagarden – if the pitching return is great enough.
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Boston, Milwaukee and Cincinnati, however, may be the best fits for a catcher-for-pitcher deal.
Here is a little peek at how these catchers did last year.
Age Levels Played AB BA OBP SLG OPS Laird, Gerald 28 MAJ,AAA 356 .267 .322 .385 .707 Saltalamacchia, Jarr 23 MAJ,AAA 253 .261 .361 .391 .752 Teagarden, Taylor 24 AAA,AA,MAJ 293 .229 .331 .444 .775 Ramirez, Max 23 AA,MAJ,AAA,ROK 331 .329 .426 .592 1.018
I still like Saltalamacchia and hope they target him. The Reds have Owings, Bailey, Thompson, Ramirez, and Maloney as the group of young guys vying for the 5th starter role from which to choose to offer up in a deal. Looks like a good matchup.
What about Jason Varitek? Boston just declined his option…I’m not sure how old he is but he may be a nice fit as I hate to see the Reds give up any young pitching as this is what really makes a team good, along with defense of course.
I will stick with Hanigan. Laird is not an upgrade with the bat or on defense. Salty is a catcher as much as Javy is. Why give up talent to get what you already have in Hanigan?
mhopp, Varitek will be 36 this April. Defensively he’s good but offensively yeeesh. If the Reds signed him look for the same black hole to appear that did when Bako was around but it’d have better defense.
What ever they do, don’t get rid of the youthful pitching yet!! I don’t ever remember a team with the young talented pitching like the Reds have…except maybe the Rays and look where they went.
Keep Ryan Hanigan, and if he proves he can’t handle it THEN deal for a starting catcher. He’s been an on base machine his whole career in the minors, is very very solid defensively, and if he can manage to hit even .250-.270, then he’d be a MAJOR improvement over years past.
The only catchers that I would even consider discussing with Texas are Ramirez and Teagarden. Teagarden is heads and shoulders about the others and could end up as a Joe Mauer type according to many scouts.
I’ve been advocating Homer for Salty straight up. That is the ONLY deal I’d be happy with giving up Homer. Homer’s a Texas guy who has Ryan potential. I think it’d kind of be like the Hamilton deal – hard to let go, yet mutually beneficial. Since we have Cueto, Volquez, and a host of others with great potential, let it happen. (Of course, it they’d take Thompson or Ramirez for Salty, I’d be happy with that, too.)
Catching should be on the end of wj list. The righty corner OF is no 1, some sort contingency at short if AGon can’t go and more competition for Dickerson in center. I thought Hanigan more than held his own, and besides catching ain’t easy to come by. Hold on the young pitchers and let the Mariners, Marlins, and Padres duke it out for the Rangers backstops.
I’d be for getting Salty, too. He and Hanigan would be a nice backstop combo.
I think Dickerson more than held his own, too. I’d put the CF & catching situation at about the same position…both could use upgrades but both also appear to be upgrades from the 2008 season.
If for no other reason, the Reds should beware of Salty because he’s a formerly vaunted Braves prospect. Scheurholz had his shortcomings but he also had a real talent for pumping and dumping prospects. See Rob Bell, Andy Marte and a host of others (not named Dye or Schmidt) for further details.
CG, don’t forget Belisle.
I’d be interested in seeing the list of prospects to leave the Braves organization (cut or traded) and how they’ve done. I know Scheurloz has a reputation for dumping the bad and keping the good. Adam Wainwright comes to mind as a recent pitcher he probably wishes he hadn’t traded.
I know when dealing with the Reds he hasn’t given them much, though he hasn’t necessarily received much either. Some of the latest (Belisle, Bubba Nelson, Jung Bong) were for relief help like Kent Mercker and Chris Reitsma. It helped the Braves bullpen, but you can’t expect to receive a star prospect for middle relievers.
Belisle is a perfect example at looking who the Braves got when they traded away a prospect. The Reds got him for Kent Mercker straightup. The Braves got 17 innings out of Mercker + 1 playoff inning.
Belisle has thrown 340+ major league innings for the Reds. I believe the projections for Belisle when the Reds acquired him were a #4/5 starter or middle reliever. It’s unfortunate that he couldn’t take a step forward this season after his 30 starts in 2007, but I’d say in hindsight, even if Belisle’s thrown his last pitch for the Reds organization, that was a pretty good deal for the Reds.
I like this idea even better than a Salty deal:
The Indians would want a young closer type in return for catcher Kelly Shoppach.
I’d package a Burton or Roenicke for Shoppach if that would get it done.
Here is an article on that reviews the four catchers from the Rangers standpoint. http://www.star-telegram.com/sports/story/1021211.html