Time to get... "Pudge"?

by outofleftfield on Apr 30, 2011 1:01 AM EDT

It's no secret that the Red Sox have no catching options for the present. They have already used Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jason Varitek. Both of which with mixed results. Varitek catches the pitchers well, and can occasionally have a moment with the bat. Salty... well he's sometimes good for a needed hit. Sometimes.

Wilson Ramos has won the starting catchers job in Washington, and with that, Ivan Rodriguez has been delegated to Bench duty.

Now I'm not saying Geovanny Soto wouldn't be a better option (nice to dream), but realistically, Pudge is PROBABLY more available, and wouldn't cost as much. Even though he's aging, he can still throw runners out, and he works well with most pitchers, the learning curve for him not being that long.

So if we can get him for a minimal price, would you take him?

Poll

Time to get Pudge-y?

Yes, Salty and Tek are NOT cutting it

33 votes

No, he's old and decrepid

26 votes

Who cares? The season is over

5 votes

Lame joke is lame... (answer below)

1 votes

65 votes | Poll has closed

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Comments

Salty/Tek

are, in fact, the best available options right now. They aren’t blowing any games, tek got a hit today, Salty has hit the ball well recently with little luck. Stay the course.

by GerryT on Apr 30, 2011 3:31 AM EDT via mobile reply actions

His OPS over the last two years has been about .650.

While his defense might be better, people are still going to be pissed about his bat. Any of these replacement guys just aren’t going to cut it one way or another.

"We are not normal, We are Legends. People will tell their kids about us." - Deon Butler before Ohio State Game 2008.

by Rogue Nine on Apr 30, 2011 9:46 AM EDT reply actions

and he's just another 39 year old

by wolf9309 on Apr 30, 2011 9:54 AM EDT up reply actions

what would you be willing to give up?

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by Marisa Ingemi on Apr 30, 2011 9:50 AM EDT reply actions

Okajima, Jenks, Lars Anderson, and anything at the AA level.

Not all at once.

Theo, if you are reading this, please release Dice-K. Your joke on the Boston people isn't funny.

by outofleftfield on Apr 30, 2011 5:56 PM EDT up reply actions

How about...

Lars, Bowden and PTBNL?

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by Marisa Ingemi on May 1, 2011 1:35 PM EDT up reply actions

Honestly, I would be cool with that

If it meant solid defense behind the plate.

I’ve come to realize asking for a catcher who can do everything (Mauer) is unrealistic.

The Red Sox suck, and I am the dirt that was sucked in, I am a dirty.

by outofleftfield on May 1, 2011 5:25 PM EDT up reply actions

I actually think that that will be the only sort of real solution

Pudge would probably upgrade the defense, his bat will likely be the same. We’d be in exactly the same place next year.

If we want to fix catcher, we need to FIX catcher and go out and get someone who can man the position for years. Half of an upgrade that costs anything just isn’t worth it really.

"We are not normal, We are Legends. People will tell their kids about us." - Deon Butler before Ohio State Game 2008.

by Rogue Nine on May 1, 2011 9:29 PM EDT up reply actions

So really the solution to catcher

is to throw Expo out there in September so he can get some PAs and hope he can hack it in ’12

I don’t ever want to see Salty in Boston again.

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by TheLoneDavid on May 1, 2011 10:25 PM EDT up reply actions

I’m really not sold on any of the catchers in our system. Lavarnway is the only one I can see making the majors and who knows what position. I’d like to see him stick at catcher with that bat. But Expo hasn’t really been impressive. He isn’t likely to be a long term solution. None of these guys are going to be much better than Salty. Go big or go home. Soto.

"We are not normal, We are Legends. People will tell their kids about us." - Deon Butler before Ohio State Game 2008.

by Rogue Nine on May 2, 2011 12:13 AM EDT up reply actions

Jeez, I try to talk about a reasonable solution for once and you all turn on me.

make up your freakin minds.

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I'm a 7 WAR player in bed.
Official Baker of Red Sox Nation

by TheLoneDavid on May 2, 2011 1:12 AM EDT up reply actions

You got the Soto ball rolling

Can’t stop it now!

"We are not normal, We are Legends. People will tell their kids about us." - Deon Butler before Ohio State Game 2008.

by Rogue Nine on May 2, 2011 9:05 AM EDT up reply actions

I would give these guys up

But I doubt anyone wants Jenks right now at his $$$ and his current performance. Okajima I don’t think is really going to entice people either. Lars Anderson might, but I would rather we save him as a trade piece for someone who isn’t 39 years old and will be with the team for more than 5 months. The value for Lars may not be as it once was (I really don’t know) but I think it would be a huge waste to use him for this.

by The Name is Dalton on May 2, 2011 8:42 AM EDT up reply actions

So I guess when I say I would give these guys up...

I mean I would give up the two pitchers but I doubt they would want them. And I would give up Lars Anderson, but not for this.

Wanted to clarify.

by The Name is Dalton on May 2, 2011 8:43 AM EDT up reply actions

I got what the idea was

I only suggest throwing in Lars with one of the relievers “Addition by subtraction” (of Jenks or Oki)

Another option would be to instead use the package to get Jesus Flores on the cheap (he’s their third catcher, could he be worse than what we have?) or to go all out and try to get Soto from the Cubs.

The Red Sox suck, and I am the dirt that was sucked in, I am a dirty.

by outofleftfield on May 2, 2011 10:49 AM EDT up reply actions

It's gonna take something big to get Soto

Navarro/WMB/Britton/Pimental/Lavarnway big.

I’d probably still do that deal, I don’t see a lot of those guys having an impact in the future here.

DFA Rev Halofan
I'm a 7 WAR player in bed.
Official Baker of Red Sox Nation

by TheLoneDavid on May 2, 2011 2:15 PM EDT up reply actions

Britton/Pimental/Lavarnway are not exactly

helping out their current trade value right now. I’d think that they’d want something that was more of a sure thing to make the majors. If they decided to trade him, which I still doubt. You’re in Chicago right? Is it something they’ve mentioned at all?

by wolf9309 on May 2, 2011 3:26 PM EDT up reply actions

I'm actually closer to St Louis right now

and I get all of their baseball news. When I go home I’m a lot closer to Chicago.

DFA Rev Halofan
I'm a 7 WAR player in bed.
Official Baker of Red Sox Nation

by TheLoneDavid on May 2, 2011 5:56 PM EDT up reply actions

I don’t think giving up something for Flores will be worth it. No one that is ‘available’ is REALLY enough of an upgrade to warrant trading away prospects. Lars doesn’t have a future here likely and he may be ‘expendable’ but trading him for someone who is still likely to piss us all off with poor play is just a wasted opportunity.

"We are not normal, We are Legends. People will tell their kids about us." - Deon Butler before Ohio State Game 2008.

by Rogue Nine on May 2, 2011 5:18 PM EDT up reply actions

No

The Nats want to keep Pudge to mentor Ramos – what do the Sox gain by having a 38 year old with a 39 year old ‘backup’ in Tek? The problem is depth in the position across MLB. The Sox need to continue to develop the position; and, Saty is 25 years old so he is still learning the position – maybe, by the end of June he is more serviceable? If the Sox start to hit (I mean hit up to their potential and stop stranding RISP) then much of this will not be an issue.

"Man that ball got outta here in a hurry, you know anything that travels that far oughta have a damn stewardess on it, don't you think?" - Crash Davis

by Dave D on Apr 30, 2011 11:21 AM EDT reply actions

At this point, Pudge = Tek

Maybe you get a little better defense, but there’s no advantage at bat and Pudge doesn’t know our pitchers like Tek does. So you’re effectively giving something up to get something you already have.

by RSNexile on Apr 30, 2011 1:36 PM EDT reply actions

Agree with the above

No point in getting an old knob like Pudge at this point in his career. We are better off staying the course (sadly).

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by Bloggy on Apr 30, 2011 4:16 PM EDT reply actions

Let's trade for Hideki Matsushi and put him at catcher.

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by Frederick0220 on Apr 30, 2011 4:54 PM EDT reply actions

I feel like both his bat and defense

might be surprisingly close to Salty’s

by wolf9309 on Apr 30, 2011 5:10 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't like Matsui.

He feels like he’d be the Eric Gagne of batters on the Sox.

Theo, if you are reading this, please release Dice-K. Your joke on the Boston people isn't funny.

by outofleftfield on Apr 30, 2011 5:58 PM EDT up reply actions

What are everyone's thoughts on Jesus Flores?

Is he just another Expo/FedEx?

DFA Rev Halofan
I'm a 7 WAR player in bed.
Official Baker of Red Sox Nation

by TheLoneDavid on May 1, 2011 5:35 PM EDT reply actions

Not a fan

I think he’s like Salty, but older.

"We are not normal, We are Legends. People will tell their kids about us." - Deon Butler before Ohio State Game 2008.

by Rogue Nine on May 1, 2011 9:31 PM EDT up reply actions

Flores is kinda the 3rd man out on the NATS roster - kinda long answer here

Ok, the NATS are my NL team – whenI moved to DC in 2009 I started cheering for them. With the acquisition of Wilson Ramos he seems to be left out. The past three years he has been plagued with injuries with the NATS & that has slowed his progression. There is much talk in NATSTOWN on what to do with him – his name is bandied about by fans as good tradebait. And, with the market being what it is most teams would overpay for him if they have the need. He will be an interesting piece for the NATS by the deadline if he is producing. He has the potential – but he is now 27 and the NATS expected him to be ready fulltime in 2008. Witht he acquisition of Ramos you have to wonder if they will shop him. Or, if this is Pudge’s last year are they holding him for a platoon? I dunno, but I would think as they continue to rebuild if they can get some good chips for him he could be had.

"Man that ball got outta here in a hurry, you know anything that travels that far oughta have a damn stewardess on it, don't you think?" - Crash Davis

by Dave D on May 1, 2011 9:32 PM EDT up reply actions