6:21pm: Saltalamacchia's 2011 deal is a split contract that will earn him $750K in the majors or $250K in the minors, tweets Sean McAdam of Comcast SportsNet.
6:03pm: The Red Sox have agreed to terms with Jarrod Saltalamacchia on a one-year, non-guaranteed contract for 2011, according to a team release. With the agreement, the two sides will avoid salary arbitration, which the 25-year-old would have been eligible for this winter for the first time.
Boston acquired Saltalamacchia from the Rangers at this year's trade deadline, in exchange for three players and cash. The backstop made just 25 plate appearances in ten games for the Red Sox following the deal. However, as Ken Rosenthal indicated on the day of the trade, the Sox had scouted the former sandwich-round pick extensively and felt that he'd benefit from a change of scenery and was worth a gamble.
Certainly not a Sox fan…but I’ve liked this guy since he was in the Braves organization. I hope this isn’t another case of a highly hyped prospect not panning out. This was a guy I was expecting to be a star, even with his defensive limitations. Switch-hitting catchers with middle-of-the-order potential don’t grow on trees.
Yeah! That’ll bring V-Mart to his senses with his outrageous salary demands. Won’t it??
Seems team friendly enough for his first year of arb. Hopefully he can get healthy and help the big league club in a backup role. I still want to see VMart back……
I think they’ll take a look at Buck. No #1 -compensation and he showed he can hit when healthy. If he’s not overpriced I think it will happen but a trade is a possibility too. Varitek in ’11? I don’t think so.
I wouldn’t mind a Buck and Saltalamacchia combo for a year if they dont want to put money into Vmart. Vmart is a great hitter but if they can put that money he would earn and improve other needs, Im all for it.
I’d rather see Varitek with Salty than Buck.
Have salty and Russel Martin do the catching this year. Martin could be non-tendered and we would just have to pick up his 5mm option.
I don’t want to see Buck OR Russel Martin. Buck doesn’t get on base and his defence is not good. Martin has hip problems and that doesn’t help his main asset (at least a few years ago) his speed. He has no power and I don’t like the prospect of a catcher with bad hips having to squat behind the plate for 100 or so games.
Salty and maybe Iannetta from Colorado would be a good combo.
VMART – mainly 1B-DH-C (three positions), YOUK – 1B & 3B, SALTY – C, VARITEK – backup C and captain. Pick-up Papi Option or negotiate 2 yr deal (maybe with some incentives) Bye-Bye Beltre (Boras client I believe, lives on west coast, unsure if this year was anamoly) receive draft pick compensation. $ coming off the books – Lowell $13M, Lugo $9M, & Beltre $8M. Next year bye-bye Drew and his $15M. Keep Ellsbury in CF (good avg & speed & I don’t care about UZR or whatever), seek Power hitting LF (Werth?) and relievers (trade some guys that play in the majors this year as a result of injuroes coupled with minor leaguers/picks). Of course this falls apart if we don’t think Youk can play 3B anymore……love the offseason
Can’t believe this guy is still only 25. I remember seeing him a few years ago and thinking he was a great catcher then. Hopefully he becomes a dependable catcher in the near future
Power hitting LF (Werth?)
Gammons was on today saying he thinks they will try hard for Crawford.
It’s a combination of gambling on him reaching his potential and Theo’s tendency to have man crushes on certain players. I’m betting Theo will negotiate in good faith with Martinez but ultimately they’ll let him walk and try to go with a Salty and maybe Buck combination. Sox have a few interesting prospects in the minors who might be ready to take over as starting catcher maybe as soon as 2012, so I don’t see the Sox going all in on VMart.
I certainly wouldn’t rule them out on VMart either though. He could be moved to DH after a season or 2. Honestly, I don’t expect to see him back, but he wouldn’t block Esposito or Lavarnway.
It’s possible. I just don’t think Theo will go to the mat. If another team wants VMart then plan B it is.
Luis Exposito doesen’t have good bat potential. Sure he had 39 dbls @ AA this year but the only thing that will stand out is his defense. Ryan Lavarnway has a good bat but bad defense.
So… your argument is despite showing power potential in AA, Expositio won’t have a good bat. Yeah… makes sense. Can I use your magic 8 ball when you’re done with it?
No thank you to the Orioles paying up, they’ve got a protected pick! Do the Tigers need a catcher?