When the 'Ace' of your staff wants the backup catcher you know your days are numbered.
In his last ten starts Jon Lester was caught by David Ross seven times.And when the Red Sox got down to the final games of a long season it was David Ross who caught the final pitch.
This World Series would remember 'Salty' as the guy that 'threw that stupid throw' in Game 3.So on the Red Sox 'Depth Chart' it is Ross who currently stands alone as are only catcher.
David Ross is no longer a everyday catcher,but he is a 'experienced' catcher that is under contract thru 2014.
Ross brings to the table 'knowledge'...knowledge of the opposition hitters and knowledge of his own pitchers limitations.In the dugout they call him "The Professor".
David's 2013 season was cut short by two concussions due to his being hit in the head by 'foul balls'.Therefore he only was only available for 84 games ( he got into 36 games).Project his stamina over a full 162 games season and he should be able to catch in 62 games next year.
That means the Red Sox are 'looking for a guy' that can catch 100 games in 2014.
Now the fact that Saltalamacchia was not made a 'Qualifying Offer' has some people wondering if Ben Cherington sees better catchers currently maturing in the Red Sox farm system.
According to some,Christian Vazquez is the future catcher for the Red Sox. Management expects him to be mature enough for the 2015 season.
It is obvious to all Red Sox fans that we need to sign or trade for an experienced catcher.The best way to proceed at this time ( Being mid-November) is to see what is out there on the 'free agent'market.
THE RED SOCKS BLOG prefers not to speculate on any particular 'free agent' other than to say,that's where our 2014 catcher is going to come from.
In the meantime THE RED SOCKS BLOG prefers to discuss what the Red Sox have down on the farm,where we have a abundance of good catchers.Although Vazquez has the most promise it is possible another of these young men will be the Red Sox catcher in 2016.
Signs indicate that the Red Sox are only looking to sign a 'free agent' for 2 years so as not to impede their young catchers.
And here they are:
Ryan Lavarnway: Was drafted out of Yale University by the Red Sox in 2008 after winning the NCAA 'Batting Title' in 2007.He was drafted as a 'power hitting' catcher but has been far from that at the major league level.His strikeout to walk ratio shows that he has had his issues with laying off pitches out of the strike zone.He is viewed as not ideal for a starting role because the 'power' he showed in the minors has not carried over to the major leagues.In 2013 Lavarnway in 25 games batted .299 with 1 HR and 14 RBI's. Lavarnway's defense is below average.As some room has to be made on the PAWSOX (AAA) for Vazquez he could be included in a trade.
Dan Butler: Another catcher that is destined for a backup catcher role.His defense is good,although he's 'a little long' with his throws to second base.He has been accused of being repetitive and falling into patterns that can be detected by the opposition when calling games.Butler is another trade possibility.
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| CHRISTIAN VAZQUEZ |
Blake Swihart: Was drafted in 2011 the 26th pick in the 1st round.
A switch-hitter Swihart swings well from both sides of the plate.His form is solid be he tends to be too aggressive and overswing a lot.His overall defensive game,which was a concern at the beginning of 2013,improved enough that he threw out 41% of basestealers.Look for Blake in 'AA Ball" this year.He is two or more years away from the major leagues.
As for Ben Cherington and the Red Sox the search begins for a replacement for 'Salty' but with a promise things will get better in a couple of years.
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