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With Victor Martinez headed to the Detroit Tigers, the Red Sox appear set with Jarrod Saltalamacchia as their starting catcher with an intriguing possibility of long-time starting catcher, Jason Varitek, coming back for one more year.

Before Red Sox nation jumps off the cliff regarding VMart leaving at the cost of Justin Masterson, Nick Hagadone and Bryan Price, while getting the Tigers first-round pick and a sandwich pick in the 2011 MLB Amateur Draft, Saltalamacchia is entering his age-26 season and was considered a top catching prospect before stumbling along four seasons with the Atlanta Braves and the Texas Rangers.

There are some positives that should be noted when it comes to Saltalamachia’s potential. In 238 at-bats with the Rangers AAA team last year, Salty hit 11 home runs. Yes, it is not the bigs, but it is a indicator that Saltalamacchia was beginning to turn it around offensively.

Here is another stat: In his last three major league seasons, Saltalamacchia has hit .263 with an OPS of .745 during his age 23 through 25 seasons. From a defensive point of view, he threw out 24 percent of would-be base stealer’s in 2009 when he played a career-high 83 games behind the plate for the Rangers.

In 2009 and 2010, Martinez threw out 14 percent and 21 percent of would-be base stealers.

If Varitek is brought back to backup Salty and play against left-handed pitchers, the Red Sox may have a viable platoon behind the plate at a cost that is a fraction of what VMart garnered today (four years at $12.5 million AAV).

This permits the Red Sox to spend the $30 to $35 million that it will likely spend in free agency and arbitration/salary increases to address the other pressing needs including its bullpen, first base/third base dilemma and left field.

Salty may not be the top-50 prospect that he once was in 2006 or 2007, but he is under the fiscal control of the Red Sox through the 2013 season and that will permit Epstein and company to use their dollars in other areas that need an upgrade.

The downside to this option is obviously experience. He has played 200 games behind the plate in the major leagues. How many games did Varitek play before entering his age 26 season? One game. Victor Martinez played 181 games.

Saltalamacchia will never be as good of a hitter as Victor Martinez and he will never be as good as a defensive catcher as Jason Varitek.

However, the fact that he has been given the opportunity to catch what amounts to one-and-a-quarter seasons behind the plate before turning age 26, which is widely considered the turning point for catchers to fully mature, then maybe the Red Sox were able to buy low and catch a former top-50 baseball prospect at the time when they finally become fully developed.

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The 2011 season is finally over for the Boston Red Sox.

The upcoming months should provide a lot of intrigue.

A number of current Red Sox could be hitting the free-agent market: David Ortiz, Adrian Beltre, and Bill Hall if their respective options aren’t exercised. Also, the bullpen woes must be addressed. 

But most importantly, catcher Victor Martinez is assuredly hitting the free-agent market. Letting him walk would be a huge mistake.

Victor doesn’t want to leave Boston. The onus is on the front office to make sure he doesn’t.

Martinez, when dealt to the Red Sox from Cleveland at the 2009 trading deadline, broke down in tears when he was told by Indians GM Mark Shapiro that he had been traded. Martinez is the type of player who stays loyal to an organization, and had envisioned retiring as a member of the Cleveland Indians.

Now that he has found a new home in Boston, a place where he has thrived on the diamond and fit in in the clubhouse, Martinez would probably prefer that he and his family stay put.

Unfortunately, the Red Sox haven’t gotten negotiations off on the right foot. 

Earlier in the month, the team offered Martinez a two-year deal, which caught the catcher off guard. He politely declined.

“That’s a business part of this game,” Martinez told Boston sports radio station WEEI. “They’re trying to do one thing, and we’ll see what happens. I don’t really have to do it. They came with something, and that might just be where the negotiations start, but I don’t see myself signing a two-year deal. I’m young enough. I work so hard and I give it all. I just want to be treated fair. It wasn’t hard because it was something I wasn’t expecting. I wasn’t expecting a two-year deal, anyway. I wasn’t expecting for them to come to me during the season anyways.” 

Victor’s agent Alan Nero had this to say about the dealings: “Victor, at this point, is looking to be with a team for the rest of his career. It’s not a matter of security, it’s a matter of trying to get comfortable in one place.”

Basically, it all sounds as if Victor wants more years. He believes that he can catch full time for the rest of his career, which he’s said he would prefer to do. The Red Sox probably wouldn’t have to overpay for his skills in relative comparison to the market to get him either, just give him peace of mind in knowing where he’ll be.

A Victor-less Red Sox is a scary thought, one which most fans shouldn’t be comfortable with.

When you discount an injury-filled 2008 where V-Mart was limited to just 73 games, his domination of the catcher position over the course of his career has been quite remarkable.

Since 2004, his first full-time season, Victor has ranked in the top three among catchers in home runs and average five times, and runs and RBI six times. Other than 2008, Victor has been first or tied for first in RBI among catchers in every single, including 2010 (he’s currently tied with Brian McCann of the Braves with 77; McCann has 15 games on him).

Martinez is making an on-the-field case for why he should get a new contract from the Sox. After a thumb injury sidelined him for almost a month, an offensive surge over the last two months has shown why he’s so valuable.

In August, Martinez hit .298 with 4 HR and 15 RBI. In September, his numbers have been even better: a .324 average, 6 HR, 23 RBI, and a .941 OPS.

If Victor leaves, the catching situation in Boston next year would most likely be a platoon situation with Jarrod Saltalamacchia getting the majority of the time and Jason Varitek providing the occasional rest day and start against left-handers. 

To accomplish this, the Red Sox would have to re-sign the aging captain, despite the fact that he has more or less indicated that he believes this will be his last season as a member of the Red Sox.

Even in a platoon scenario, Saltalamacchia would well exceed the most at-bats he’s ever had in one year (308 in ’07).

And yet, Saltalamacchia hasn’t yet proven that he can hit consistently on the major league level, and he hasn’t been able to hold onto a starting job because of that. To bank on him finally doing that in 2011, while getting the most playing time of his career, isn’t sensible.

Also, Martinez has finally learned the nuances of the Red Sox starting rotation, something that was a minor point of criticism when he first arrived in Boston.

To show how far Victor has come in learning the staff, when asked about Martinez’s contract situation, Clay Buchholz openly endorsed him:

“We’ve got a bunch of catchers here, but he’s a special guy to this team because of his offensive capability and what he can do behind the plate.”

Martinez’s comfortability behind the plate with top-of-the-rotation guys like Buchholz will go a long way in a future re-signing with the team. 

And 2011 is a crucial year for Red Sox pitching; John Lackey and Josh Beckett have both had very disappointing seasons. The last thing either of them need is the uncertainty of who they’ll be throwing to on a day-to-day basis.

Letting Martinez leave could prove disastrous for years to come if Saltalamacchia doesn’t pan out. The Red Sox don’t have any legitimate catching prospects who are close to being MLB ready, and any struggles by Saltalamacchia could leave a gaping hole behind the plate until the Red Sox can fill that void.

Unfortunately for the Sox, quality free-agent catchers almost never hit the free-agent market these days, and it’s just as hard to trade for one. For the most part, you have to develop top catching talent, or get incredibly lucky like the Red Sox did in 2009, when the Indians practically dumped Martinez on the Sox.

For example, the free-agent catching class of 2011 (besides Victor) features such names as A.J. Pierzynski, John buck, Miguel Olivo, and Bengie Molina.

2012 is just as exciting. Jorge Posada and Pudge Rodriguez are both available, if the Sox want to go the 40-plus route.

Letting Victor leave would be the equivalent of the Red Sox organization saying, “We believe Jarrod Saltalamacchia is the full-time catcher of the future.” 

But if he isn’t, the Sox will have let one of the best catchers in baseball slip through their fingers, only to realize they need him more than anyone.

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The longest name in major league baseball history has finally landed in Pawtucket.

Two days after being traded from the Texas Rangers’ organization to the Boston Red Sox, Jarrod Saltalamacchia debuted for the Pawtucket Red Sox Monday night. In his first outing for the Red Sox’ triple-A affiliate, the 6’4”, 235-pound catcher walked in his first plate appearance and then was retired in his next four trips to the plate.

Despite his 0-for-4 performance in his PawSox debut, Saltalamacchia was optimistic about the way things have been going for him lately.

“The last four months I have been playing well,“and I am just looking to continue to do that here,” he said.

Saltalamacchia, once a top-prospect in the Braves minor league system, was traded along with Elvis Andrus, Matt Harrison, Neftali Feliz and Beau Jones to the Rangers for Mark Teixeira and Ron Mahay at the 2007 trade deadline.

Just before Sunday’s trade deadline, Saltalamacchia was dealt for Chris McGuinness and Ramon Mendez in a move that felt like a long time coming for Red Sox brass and their fans.

Saltalamacchia, known to his teammates as “Salty”, acknowledged that he was aware of the rumblings and rumor mills in past seasons that once had him headed to Boston in exchange for Clay Buchholz.

“There have been three or four years where I’ve heard my name out there and thought it could be a possibility, but I have been at the point where I am focusing on making the big leagues and staying there,” Saltalamacchia said.

After going hitless in his debut, Pawtucket manager Torey Lovullo was not fazed by the lackluster offensive first-impression from his new catcher.

“I know he’s an offensive-minded catcher,” he said. “He got a couple of pitches that I know he would like to have back, and I’m sure he is going to be fine and start swinging the bat.”

In 63 games with Oklahoma City, the triple-A affiliate of the Texas Rangers in the Pacific Coast League, the switch-hitting catcher was hitting .244 with 11 home runs and 33 RBI.

“Overall, he has good bat speed, good balance and a good swing plane,” said Lovullo. “There was nothing bad there, so we will see where it takes him.”

On the season, the offensive numbers may be lackluster for a player who was ranked as the No. 18 prospect in the minor leagues by Baseball America in 2006. But the focus of late for Saltalamacchia has not been his bat. The real concern has been with Saltalamacchia’s troubled throwing arm.

Saltalamacchia was the Opening Day starter for Texas, but was placed on the disabled list after the second game of the year with a right shoulder injury. He was then designated to the minor leagues in May after struggling to throw the ball back to the pitcher.

“It was a physical issue that I allowed to become mental, and once I realized it was a physical issue the mental part went out of the way,” the catcher said.

The ailment that physically plagued Saltalamacchia was Thoracic Outlet Syndrome. The syndrome caused numbness down his right arm and into his throwing hand. The cause of the numbness was an impinged nerve near his collarbone, and he had it treated by having his first rib removed on his right side.

“I couldn’t feel anything– there were times I just couldn’t feel the baseball in my hand” Saltalamacchia said.

Lovullo admits that he knew plenty about Saltalamacchia before he arrived in the Red Sox organization. But prior to Saltalamacchia’s debut Monday, he had not seen him work a ballgame. The problematic throws back to the pitcher were news to Lovullo, but he saw no warning signs of trouble in Saltalamacchia’s first game with the PawSox.

“I guess that is something that has been on his track record, but I didn’t see that [Monday],” Lovullo said. “The idea is to get the ball back to the pitcher so he could get on the mound, and he was doing that.”

When asked about what he has done to remedy the situation, post-surgery Saltalamacchia admittedly said that he used to try to show off his arm by firing the ball back to the pitcher. After experiencing his troubles, he now displays a much more relaxed throw back to his batterymate to maintain control and conserve energy.

Given the physical and mental nature of the catcher’s struggles, both the player and his new coach agree that the change of scenery just might be the best thing to reinvigorate his career.

“All-in-all I think the bumps in the road were a good thing to have happen to me,” said a retrospective Saltalamacchia, who expressed how thrilled he was to be welcomed by his new organization and to be playing baseball back on the East Coast.

Dusty Brown will be the other catcher splitting time with Saltalamacchia in Pawtucket. The PawSox have a logjam on their roster at the catcher position, with five catchers currently milling around the Pawtucket clubhouse. However, three of them- Mark Wagner, Juan Apodaca and Gustavo Molina- are inactive and listed on the seven-day DL.

Lovullo was not immediately sure how he was going to split playing time between the two catchers, but he said that he was sure he was not looking forward to rationing playing time when the other catchers started being activated.

Saltalamacchia has been a name that has been familiar to baseball fans since 2007 when he made his major league debut on May 1 of that season. Despite being a guy who has been around for a while, Saltalamacchia is still just 25-years old.

With the hype that surrounded Saltalamacchia in the Braves and Rangers system, it is not out of the question for Red Sox Nation to be wishfully penciling him in as a catcher-of-the-future for Boston.

When asked about the potential of being a long-term replacement for current catchers Jason Varitek, 38, and Victor Martinez, 31, Saltalamacchia expressed eagerness for the opportunity.

“I know [Varitek] has a legacy here that speaks for itself, and I hope to continue that legacy for a long time,” he said.

For now, Saltalamacchia will continue to go to work every day in Pawtucket. With Varitek, Martinez and Kevin Cash the three catchers in Boston, Saltalamacchia’s services will not be needed immediately with the big club.

But despite the path to the big leagues not being immediately clear for him, he is accepting of the work that is still ahead of him to reach his goal of being an everyday major league catcher.

“I’d like for an opportunity right now, but it is something I’ve got to work towards and get myself,” Saltalamacchia said.

Boston general manager Theo Epstein and the rest of the Red Sox upper-management have wanted Saltalamacchia for quite some time. After a few wayward years between the majors and minors, Saltalamacchia appears rejuvenated at his new opportunity.

“I’m looking for a fresh start and it just makes me happy that somebody wants me,” he said.

With Saltalamacchia landing in Boston, it appears that at long last the Boston Red Sox and their new catcher are both getting their wish.

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After the 2010 season, both Boston Red Sox catchers will be free agents. It’s quite possible that Victor Martinez and Jason Varitek won’t be back for the Red Sox in 2011.

I believe Martinez will be back, but just in case he is not or even if he is, the Red Sox traded for some insurance over the weekend. The Red Sox acquired catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia from the Texas Rangers for minor leaguers Ramon Mendez (no relation to Sam or Eva) and Chris McGuiness. The Red Sox will also include a player to be named later.

Saltalamacchia has been a huge bust since coming to the Rangers in the Mark Teixeira trade in 2007. He was supposed to become the Rangers’ catcher of the future and has been anything but.

Injuries, a case of Mackey Sasser syndrome (can’t throw the ball back to the pitcher), and a .243 average in a Rangers’ led to this trade. Perhaps a change of scenery will do him good in Boston.

Saltalamacchia is still only 25-years old, so there is plenty of time for him to turn things around.

McGuiness is having a monster season in Single-A. He has put up a .298/.416/.504 hitting line with 12 home runs in 282 at-bats.

He is a 22-year-old first baseman, who was drafted in the 13th round of the 2009 draft. While the Red Sox still have Kevin Youkilis and Lars Anderson is still lurking in the minors, I am a little surprised Boston would include McGuiness in a trade for Saltalamacchia.

Mendez is a 20-year-old pitcher, who had a 6.56 ERA with 9.9 K/9 in Single-A this season.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

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The Boston Red Sox have acquired Texas Rangers’ catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia in a deal consummated even as the bell tolled on the 2010 non-waiver trade deadline. In addition to cash considerations, Texas will receive three players, including Roman Mendez, Chris McGuinness, and a player to be named later, according to WEEI’s Alex Speier.

For a number of years now, the Red Sox have been linked in trade rumors to the 25-year-old Saltalamacchia, who himself expressed great excitement at the prospect of being traded to Boston last year. Of course, most of those rumors involved the Red Sox giving up significant prospects or pieces to acquire the once-top-billed backstop.

A former top catching prospect, Saltalamacchia has slumped or declined, depending on one’s perspective, over the last two years. Spending the start of the 2010 season on the disabled list before moving to the Oklahoma City RedHawks, Saltalamacchia owns a career .251 batting average and .701 OPS and has thrown out approximately 21 percent of potential base stealers.

Presently with the Single-A Lowell Spinners, 20-year-old Dominican right-hander Roman Mendez has high upside and the potential to be a “front-of-the-rotation starter or high-leverage reliever,” according to SoxProspects.com.

Selected during the 13th round of the 2009 Amateur Draft, McGuinness is an infielder who possesses a career .275 average and an 860 OPS in one year with Red Sox Single-A affiliates.

For breaking-news Red Sox updates, follow Peter on Twitter at BoSoxUpdate.

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With roughly a quarter of the 2010 MLB season in the books, the Texas Rangers currently find themselves in sole possession of first place in the AL West.

Entering play Thursday, the 23-18 record quite nearly has the team on track to match Nolan Ryan’s prediction of 92 wins. The current pace would leave the Rangers about one win shy of the mark if the numbers were extrapolated across a 162-game season.

In order to stay in contention, the organization hopes to have a number of issues resolved as the season progresses.

Offseason acquisition Rich Harden hasn’t panned out as of yet, but with the money invested in him, it remains likely the Rangers will continue to hope he will rediscover the velocity and command that once made him virtually unhittable, when healthy.

With fastballs consistently topping out between 90-91 mph, Harden has looked anything but dominant thus far in 2010, struggling to get deep into games and having nearly as many walks as strikeouts.

At first base, generally regarded as an offensive-heavy position, the Rangers quickly demoted Chris Davis after he failed to carry over his spring training production to the regular season. His replacement, highly-touted prospect Justin Smoak, has yet to put up gaudy numbers, yet has managed to get on base by drawing 16 walks.

While in previous years, pitching has been the main concern for the organization, this version of the Rangers may actually have more to worry about at the catcher position.

While prospects from the 2007 trade of Mark Teixeira to the Atlanta Braves have helped the Rangers tremendously—Elvis Andrus already looks to be a perennial All-Star at shortstop and Neftali Feliz, at the very least, looks to be a solid closer/reliever—the main acquisition for the Texas Rangers in the trade, catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, has yet to pan out.

In the 1994 movie Major League II , a veteran catcher/manager on the team, Jake Taylor, is asked to help rookie catcher Rube Baker with a problem. While the story takes some time to develop, the audience eventually learns that, while Baker is able to make all of the flashy plays, he struggles getting the ball back to the pitcher. At one point in the movie, Taylor begins to ask Baker questions as the following exchange ensues:

“Rube, what’s going through your head just before you throw the ball back to the pitcher?”

“ I’m thinking, ‘Damn, I don’t want to screw this up.’”

“Well, what are you thinking when you throw a strike to nail the runner down at second base?”

“Well, I, I’m not thinking nothing. I just throw it.”

“You see what I’m getting at?”

“You want the pitcher to pitch from second base?”

The notion that a professional-caliber catcher would have difficulty getting the ball consistently back to the pitcher seems laughable, yet is the exact reason that Saltalamacchia—the same player that gave the Rangers a win on opening day with his walk-off single—is stuck in AAA Oklahoma City.

By many accounts, during a game Tuesday, May 11, Saltalamacchia was unable to get the ball to the pitcher on at least 12 occasions. While the initial cause of the throwing problems resulted from thoracic outlet syndrome diagnosed during the 2009 season, Saltalamacchia has seemingly been able to make all of the other plays in AAA, including hitting .339 with three home runs and nine RBI in 19 games for the RedHawks.

While Saltalamacchia will visit a sports psychologist for the issue, which now seems to be more mental rather than physical, the Rangers hope he recovers sooner rather than later. Expected backup Taylor Teagarden was more than awful at the plate and has seen himself demoted to AA Frisco, leaving the Rangers with veteran journeyman Matt Treanor and unproven Max Ramirez.

The Texas Rangers will need more offensive production than what has been offered if the team plans to remain a contender and potentially make a playoff run. While no one expects Joe Mauer, most would love to see better than the .194 batting average that has been sported by the catchers on the roster.

A good portion of the 2010 losses have stemmed from an inability to get key hits with men on base. At times, this entails the bottom part of the order—for example, the catcher—being able to get a few timely hits. While it hasn’t caught up to the team yet, the Rangers can’t expect the rest of their division to play so inconsistently for the rest of the season.

For the record, Rube Baker eventually ironed out his problem by reciting lines from a lingerie catalog.

The Rangers know it won’t be that easy for Saltalamacchia, but they would sure rather him figure out his mental block sooner rather than later; their playoff future could hinge on it.

Brandon Land is the founder and columnist for View from the Bench Sports, found at viewfromthebench.com

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