Victor Martinez: 10 Players Who Could Replace His Bat in Boston

Whether you think the Boston Red Sox was seemingly out to lunch on resigning Victor Martinez or the Detriot Tigers overpaid for a big bat that comes as a defensive liability, there is one thing for sure, Boston has a big bat to replace in their lineup.

Martinez was the only catcher in the MLB to bat over .300 while hitting 20 or more home runs in the season.

He was the number three hitter in their lineup and one of the most productive hitters on the team in the past few seasons, and he will be tough to replace.

The Red Sox will be hard pressed to equal his production with a free agent signing this season, as this year's class is nowhere near as good as last season's, but here are a few players that could help the team ease the burn.

10. Jarrod Saltalamacchia

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SEATTLE - SEPTEMBER 15: Jarrod Saltalamacchia #39 of the Boston Red Sox bats against the Seattle Mariners at Safeco Field on September 15, 2010 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

Saltalamacchia is the most obvious choice to replace Martinez, as he is already under contract for the Sox and has the ability to be a good catcher and hitter.

Salty had an off year with Boston after falling out of favor in Texas early in the season, as he only collected 24 at-bats in the whole year, batting .167.

He has been a pretty good hitter in the past, however, as he hit .266 with 11 home runs in 96 games for Atlanta and Texas in 2007.

If he can get it together, he could be a guy that could potentially hit for .280 and 20 dingers a season.

9. Luis Exposito

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FT. MYERS, FL - FEBRUARY 28: Luis Exposito #91 of the Boston Red Sox poses during photo day at the Boston Red Sox Spring Training practice facility on February 28, 2010 in Ft. Myers, Florida. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Luis Exposito is the best looking high-level prospect that the Red Sox have in their minor league system.

Exposito spent last season at triple-A Portland where he hit .260/.339/.416, and has some power to show off if he gets his reps in.

Exposito will probably see some time later in the 2011 season as a backup catcher, but it's unlikely that he will be on the opening day roster after training camp, but crazier things have happened.

8. Johnny Damon

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NEW YORK - AUGUST 16: Johnny Damon #18 of the Detroit Tigers salutes the crowd prior to his first at bat against the New York Yankees on August 16, 2010 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)

Why not eh?

Bringing back Johnny Damon to the town where he was at the height of his popularity to be a productive player would be a terrific thing to see.

Damon still has some pop in his bat, but he struggled to get the ball out of the park in the deep Comerica Park.

He can come in and hit around .270 for another season or two in Boston and end his career where he was made famous, and he could find his power again and get back up to 20 or so home runs.

7. Jose Guillen

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SAN FRANCISCO - AUGUST 31: Jose Guillen #6 of the San Francisco Giants bats against the Colorado Rockies at AT&T Park on August 31, 2010 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Guillen is getting older and headed toward playing first base permanently, but he would be a good pick up for a team looking for a guy with a bat.

Guillen clubbed 19 home runs last season and has the ability to hit 20 for a few more season, as his power has been pretty consistent for his whole career.

He can also hit for a decent average as he is a .270 hitter for his career, and has been right around there for most of his career.

6. A.J. Pierzynski

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CHICAGO - AUGUST 29: A.J. Pierzynski #12 of the Chicago White Sox hits the ball against the New York Yankees at U.S. Cellular Field on August 29, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois. The Yankees defeated the White Sox 2-1. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

A.J. Pierzynski, even with a down year offensively last season, is the best offensive catcher still left on the market this offseason.

Pierzynski had a down year by his standards, batting .270 with a flat .300 OBP, but he is an erratic player, whose stats tend to jump around.

His .270/.300/.383 this season could easily jump to .290/.330/.400 next season, plus he is always a threat to hit a dozen or so home runs.

5. Nick Johnson

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ANAHEIM, CA - APRIL 23: Nick Johnson #36 of the New York Yankees bats against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim on April 23, 2010 at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California. The Angels won 6-4. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

I know, I know the guy might as well play baseball in a wheelchair with how often he is injured, but he may well be worth the minor league contract that he will end up signing.

If he can stay on a field longer than ten games in a season then he can definitely be a productive player, and get on base at will.

Johnson will end up batting around .265, but he is a new school player and is as patient a player as you can find, and will end up with an OBP of around .400.

If he can play a full season he is a steal at the price that he will command, so there is no reason not to give the guy a shot.

4. Carlos Pena

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ARLINGTON, TX - OCTOBER 09: Carlos Pena #23 of the Tampa Bay Rays during game 3 of the ALDS at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington on October 9, 2010 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Let's get this straight right now, Carlos Pena had a horrific average last year.

Pena hit below the Mendoza line at .196, yet he still had a decent year as far as OBP goes, as he walked enough to get to .325.

Pena will probably hit below .250 again next season, but he is still at the height of his power at age 32 and should hit more than 30 home runs next season.

It is unlikely that the Tampa Bay Rays will have enough money to resign him, and teams will have to bit the bullet when signing a guy who hit .196 a year prior, so he could come at a bargain.

3. Derrek Lee

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ATLANTA - OCTOBER 10: Derrek Lee #27 of the Atlanta Braves reacts after striking out against the San Francisco Giants during Game Three of the NLDS of the 2010 MLB Playoffs at Turner Field on October 10, 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/

Lee is a hitter who has seen his average drop a bit in the past few years, but he still has enough pop in his bat to offer benefit to any team.

He hit .309 and had 35 home runs in 2009, but declined sharply to hitting only .260 and 19 home runs a season ago with the Cubs and Braves.

It seems unlikely that a hitter as good as Lee would decline that quickly, so he may be in line for a huge bounce back year this season.

2. Vladimir Guerrero

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ARLINGTON, TX - NOVEMBER 01: Vladimir Guerrero #27 of the Texas Rangers looks on during batting practice against the San Francisco Giants in Game Five of the 2010 MLB World Series at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington on November 1, 2010 in Arlington, Texas.

Guerero is going to be a high risk, high reward player for next season.

He put up excellent numbers in a hitters park last season, but was uncharacteristically flat in an injury plagued year in Anaheim in 2009.

A season ago he was one of the best hitters on one of the best teams in the league, batting .300/.345/.496 and putting up 29 home runs.

With that line he will be commanding quite a bit of coin, plus he is 35, so he may be worth the shot, but he may fall flat as well.

1. Adam Dunn

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WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 24: Adam Dunn #44 of the Washington Nationals hits a home run in the second inning against the Atlanta Braves at Nationals Park on September 24, 2010 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

The Will Ferrell look alike can and probably will hit 40 home runs next season. Unfortunately he will probably threaten the record for strikeouts in a season yet again in his career.

Dunn is the old school power hitter who will swing at almost any pitch in the area of the plate, and can hit any pitch out of the park.

If he connects look out, but if he doesn't, he'll probably strike out.

Last season Dunn hit .260 with 38 homers while striking out 199 times, leaving Mark Reynolds alone as the only player to strike out 200 times in a season (he's done it three times).

Dunn is definitely worth the shot to stick on first base, smack the ball 500 feet and play defense just good enough to keep the fans happy.