I've seen enough.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia is not the Texas Rangers' catcher of the future, or the present.
I was in attendance when the Rangers faced the White Sox last Saturday, and two things slapped me in the face.
John Danks is probably the most polished leftie I have seen in person (Cole Hamels is a close second), and Jarrod Saltalamacchia can't cut it.
I would love to rant and rave about how terrible of a trade Danks for Brandon McCarthy was, but nobody wants to beat a dead horse.
One of the best seats in sports is up-close and personal at an Major League Baseball game. I was lucky enough to experience that last weekend. No I did not have front row home plate, but my seat was pretty close.
Before the game, I heard Salty would be starting behind the plate. Ever since the trade for Mark Teixeira, I have not been a supporter of Salty. I decided to devote my day to studying him. I watched him warm-up, take swings in the on deck circle, and work with starting pitcher Kevin Millwood.
I first noticed his uncertainty. I have seen Salty experiment with a few different things this season that have ended with little success.
One observation was seeing him throw from his knees to catch runners at second base. I don't have a problem with this. Salty is a tall guy, and at 6'4'', it is quite understandable. I can see that he would want to cut down the time it takes for him to stand up and just go after the runner from his knees.
But what's wrong with some consistency? If a player wants to change his approach, why not stick with it to see if it fits? I have seen Salty throw out a runner or two from his knees, and with a little time to spare. However, this day, that didn't happen.
What happened when base runners decided to steal Saturday? Two throwing errors and two loud groans from the fans.
When the Rangers made the trade for him, all we heard was "switch-hitting catcher with power potential."
Where did he go? Certainly not to Arlington, Texas.
Jon Daniels, it's time for a change. Too long have we watched Salty bat .230 with more strikeouts than just about any other stat he can accumulate.
When Gerald Laird returns from the DL, are they really going to have three catchers on the everyday roster? Highly unlikely.
Since the Rangers began this youth movement with Max Ramirez, Chris Davis, and Eric Hurley, fans have renewed their interest in the team and have been rewarded.
From hovering at just below, just above, or right at .500, this team has taken another step to four games above .500 at the break.
Max Ramirez has the power, not Salty. Jon Daniels, it's time to make the call and ship off Salty.
That would be so sweet.
2 comments Last one added 11 months ago — Leave a Comment
Matthew Irby 11 months ago
WOW, good article and great analysis.
It is something that is going to have to pass in the next couple of years, four catchers that in 2010 will all be Major League ready...Laird, Salty, Ramirez, and Teagarden...got four, only need two. Trade time for young pitching, but whom do we let go
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Hudson B 11 months ago
Yeah, Clint you are right on with this article. I have seen to many solid plays from Max Ramirez to not be their guy. They need to cash in on Saltalmachia before the rest of the league realizes how long it will take before he can be an impact player in the major leagues. This reminds me of when the Mets had all kinds of offers of great pitching for Lastings Milledge, and ended up trading him for an okay bat instead of a great pitcher. If the Rangers can get a couple of pitching prospects for him, they could be dangerous in a couple years. Building teams on youth works. We see it all the time, just take a look at the Rays. I love the Rangers young bats and I honestly would like to see them make a comeback soon.
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