Earlier today, the Red Sox agreed to sign free agent catcher David Ross to a two-year, $6.2MM contract. With Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ryan Lavarnway already behind the plate, could Boston be gearing up for a trade? Here's more on that and other items out of Boston..
- An official with another club told Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports that the Red Sox are willing to consider offers for Saltalamacchia. Saltalamacchia hit a career-high 25 homers in 2012 but saw his average dip as his strikeout total soared.
- If the Red Sox do look to move Salty, the Mets and White Sox are among the clubs that are in need of catching, tweets Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald. Lauber suggests that the Mets could use Jon Niese while the White Sox might be willing to trade Gavin Floyd. Yesterday, Mets GM Sandy Alderson addressed the idea of trading Niese without being prompted.
- Officials from the Mets and Red Sox told Joel Sherman of the New York Post (via Twitter) earlier this week that they hadn't discussed a deal involving Saltalamacchia, but the Ross signing could ignite talks.
- Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com also notes that the Red Sox have interest in Mike Napoli and his acquisition would further squeeze Saltalamacchia out of the picture. Napoli would spend the bulk of his time at first base if he winds up in Boston, but he would still factor into the catching situation.
- Boston's acquisition of Ross gives them a great deal of flexibility going forward this winter and even potentially into next season, writes Alex Speier of WEEI.com.
Eh, some team may give up prospects because he is a catcher, but it’s hard to imagine that salty’s value is all that high. Much rather have martin than him. 25 hr is about the only positive thing about him. .288 obp makes you not even want to have him as the starter. He is a K machine 31% of time.
We’ve seen guys with equal or lower value haul some prospects.
Definitely not a good young cost-controlled left handed starter though.
Then we ought to think about Gavin Floyd, an established AL pitcher, for Salty.
You’d need more than salty to get Floyd.
Nah. Not after the season Salty had. He alone would be well enough. Jokingly, he probably struck out just as much as Gavin Floyd has.
Your not seeing much past the 25 hr’s. That is about all he has.
I don’t trust Jarrod in clutch situations. I’ve got a lot of reasons why I’d like to see him traded.
niese maybe for lavarnway no way for salty
What’s not to like about Niese? He’s young and affordable (locked up through ’17), has a good strikeout ratio (7.3 per 9 IP – same as Lester), and had a better walk ratio in 2012 than Lester. He’ll be even better with BOS defense and could be a really good pitcher.
i’m coming from a mets fan side would not trade niese for salty
Exactly. Young. Affordable. Left-handed starter. no way they trade him for a scub catcher like lavarnway, I think they wait to see if Thole can regain his mojo. He did have a couple decent years before this terrible season.
One bad month and Lavarnway is a scrub. Go badger some other teams players for awhile. It was a reporter’s thought on possible trade fits which didn’t even specify a one for one swap. Lavarnway is going to be a great major league player and you’d know that if you’d been watching him develop over the years. Comment on your own prospects. Sick of people reading a couple scouting reports on Red Sox players and becoming entirely dismissive of their abilities because they are Red Sox.
You need to be very cynical about prospects man its just the name of the game. Anytime you are trading a known entity for an unknown entity you need to be skeptical, I don’t know anything about some guy who hasn’t had 200abs in the majors yet. You just signed David Ross, the Sox can’t be too high on Lavarnway if they aren’t letting him start at 25.
His entire season in general wasn’t great, and he’s 25. His stock has fallen.
Sorry, meant Salty not lavarnway.
Really can’t judge lararnway at this point. MiL stats suggest he decent potential.
Niese for Salty. Lavarnway’s our catcher of the future.
Yea, well too bad trades have to be beneficial for both teams.
We need a starter, they need a catcher. I think it’s a perfect idea.
Ok, if you just want a starter, take Johan Santana for Salty. I think that’s a perfect idea.
Any ideas for the bullpen?
And how many trades actually end up beneficial for both teams?
Thank you.
Not many, but they have to at least seem that way to pull the trigger, and this one doesn’t. Only a fool would give up Niese for Salty.
I wouldn’t trade Niese for either one of them to be honest. Saltalamacchia isn’t interesting at all and Lavarnway might not be a catcher long term.
I’d prefer to trade Salty for pitching rather than Lavarnway. I think Lavarnway could learn a lot from Ross. I am just hoping some team over values the 25 home runs and gives up some good pitching.
sees the 25 hr, and forget to look at the unspectacular defense, or the .288 obp.
I didn’t say it was probable. I said I was hoping some team would. I’d rather have Lavarnway and Ross catching over a platoon of Salty/Ross.
Guys, that’s why I’m saying we should trade Salty. I know what he lacks. That’s the point. I’m not even focusing on the 25 home runs. Boston needs a stable catcher. Jarrod’s not that guy.
Niese for Salty? I was thinking RA Dickey for Salty… and you have to add a big maybe.
Honestly, thinking about it for just a bit, just over 3 million a year isn’t too bad for a possible starting catcher. Why didn’t the Mets consider Ross?
Laslty, Salty for Floyd? The Red Sox would have to give up something else as well and even I don’t think the White Sox would bite.
Ross already said he wanted to go somewhere he could win. The Mets aren’t going to be doing any of that for a couple of years and by then, his contract would have bee up.
Niese for Saltalamacchia? If I’m the Mets, I’m not giving up a young, lefty starter who is locked up for several years for a mediocre catcher. His power numbers will drop in Citi Field and they need more competent right-handed hitters in their lineup (Salty is worse as a righty). Also, I don’t want someone whose nickname is Salty.
Yeah, I don’t understand that at all. Salty was a give-away from TEX a few years ago after they pilfered ATL in the Teixeira deal. If BOS obtains Niese for a deal centered around Salty, Cherington is the new Billy Beane.
and Alderson should be immediatley fired
one of Texas’ top prospects came over from Boston in that “give away”
No offense to Roman Mendez, but when Salty was considered the centerpiece of the Teixeira deal then traded after an injury for 2 mid-level prospects, maybe “give away” isn’t the right word, but they certainly were selling low on him.
Then Salty was so messed up when they got him at texas he couldn’t even throw the ball back to the pitcher. It took hours and hours of working with Gary Tuck to fix that issue and sitting with Varitek/watching him alone.. It’s like.. Salty is an entirely different animal than the washed out prospect he had become at Texas.
And good for him. If BOS isn’t sold on him – which they’re not on many people they can’t afford to unload – then there are many teams that Salty can flourish while starting.
I came to the comments to pretty much write exactly what you said verbatim. Well said. I don’t think people realize that he really needs to be platooned and his right handed hitting is miserable. They could get so much more for Niese.
I really hope that Niese for Salty proposal was just a bad joke.
I still dont understand why we keep seeing Niese in trade speculation. I’m not getting rid of him if I’m the Mets
cause the mets currently have an surplus of pitching. Since you need to give up talent to get talent and Niese has the biggest chance of getting a slugger back in return (assuming Dickey gets a new contract). As a Mets fan it’s not something I want to do. but to be honest, I would rather trade Dickey to some team that wants to make a run this year and is willing to give up a great catcher/outfielder
Niese is a lefty where the rest of your depth are righties. I said it in another post. Dickey must be traded. There shouldnt even be a discussion about that. Assuming Dillon Gee is healthy, he stays too. Harvey, Wheeler, Niese, Gee, and with Santana probably not being able to be moved with his salary for next year, he will, if healthy, provide a good 2nd lefty to have that can also mentor the young depth. Hefner, McHugh, etc. should continue to get looks once you find soething to do with Santana. Its best for the organization to let Dickey go and leave those spots in the rotation to young guys to further their development. Assuming that they keep David Wright and things go right with their position players, the Mets should be a contender in the next 2-3 years
They don’t have a surplus of pitching. That’s ridiculous, the only teams that have surpluses of pitching are teams like Arizona (and even they’re looking for more). We have two top starting pitching prospects, a top starter in Dickey and a good 3 starter in Niese, but that’s very, very far from a surplus.
The Mets shouldn’t be going out of their way to trade Niese, but they can afford to move him because have young pitching “depth” (I use quotes because that can quickly evaporate with an injury or 2). They need an impact outfielder, ideally right-handed power bat. Their lineup was very lefty heavy and Davis and Wright were their only good hitters to begin with (it’s bad when your pinch hitter is your 3rd best). If they can get that player for Niese, they should consider doing it. Personally I’d rather trade Dickey.
If this is really the market, Ben Cherington should trade Salty TONIGHT!
if saltalamaccia has to be traded he should be traded for Jon Niese,
how about Saltalamaccia and Brentz for Niese, Valdespin and Duda?
A starting catcher and a top outfield prospect for a young lefty starter, an average 1st baseman/ outfielder in duda and a Utility man in Valdespin
LOL. Salty is pretty much a scub, and Brentz isn’t nearly good enough to snag duda and niese.
Unless its Niese for Brentz and Salty at a minimum, I don’t see how the mets do this.
I’m sorry… but aren’t Niese and Floyd way to high of a price to pay for Salty? Maybe for Lavarnway and something…? but not just for Salty.
Definetely. I have a feeling WS resign AJ, and Mets hope that Thole rebounds. Niese value is way higher than Floyds. 1 year of Floyd at $9.5 might be somewhat even, because Floyd isn’t anything more than a backend starter, and you could probably find a free agent somewhat close to that. I think they are better looking into martin and AJ before salty.
I guess I’m missing the love fest with Salty, but there is no way in hades the Mets are trading Niese for that guy. If they are intent on trading Salty, we can talk about Valdespin, Familia, Duda and the like, but to even mention Niese in that kind of a deal is absurd.
Saltalamacchia would be a great pick up for the Pirates. Salty vs RHP, McKenry vs LHP
now if they sign hunter, napoli, additional of, anibel sanchez, and a depth starter like brandon mccarthy and the red sox will be looking pretty good. ross and hunter are great clubhouse guys. hunter and napoli can still hit and can be had on 3 year deals or less most likely. sanchez is young and has been pretty consistent. with those signings and bounceback years by ellsbury, clay, lester, lackey, ect. this team could surprise next year.
You don’t sign an injury prone pitcher as depth. McCarthy won’t help this team on the DL.
My guess is that Saltalamacchia will be traded for Dickey.
Salty and perhaps one prospect.
Dickey haven’t pitched in the AL East, so his first year numbers should be pretty good.
I’d do that in a heart beat, Boston fans would eat it up that he is a knuckleballer, you could slap 49 on him and 75% of the fans wouldn’t even realize it wasn’t Wakefield.
Seriously, it would be a no risk move for the Sox and they need a starter, might as well try out the NL cy young winner. If he works out give him 3/$24-30M, if dont resign and you still have Lavarnway.
has to be lavarnway in a dickey package not salty
IF the Mets were going to take Salty in a deal for RA, the deal would look more like Bradley, Jacobs and Salty for RA and Duda. Salty isn’t worth all that much and Cy Young award winners making 5M a year don’t exactly grow on trees.
Randall Delgado, Nick Ahmed, and Christian Bethancourt for Ryan Lavarnway and Jacoby Ellsberry
Niese or Floyd for Saltalamacchia? what are you drinking these days? I want some too.
I agree, Sox are going to need a lot more than just Salty for Floyd. I guarantee over a full season that Tyler Flowers would outperform Saltalamacchia in almost every offensive category.
what about salty to the pirates for tabata or presley and a starter like locke or mcpherson? i think the best package could be tabata and mcpherson. you have insurance for ellsbury in tabata and sold defense in left or right depending on who else they bring back and a solid back of the rotation guy who has shown that he could be a solid contributor in the rotation in mcpherson.
then again lavarnway would probably be a better fit and i dont think that package is near enough for him.
Thanks BenC. for the Ross move. Very good signing. His addition will help either Salty or Lavarnway whichever one stays.
I hope you continue to talk with the Indians–I think there is some good talent that could move both ways. Dickey would be a nice addition if that’s possible.