Rangers shopping for a catcher

by Adam J. Morris on Dec 8, 2009 8:05 PM CST

According to Evan Grant, the Rangers are looking for a catcher who could possibly take on the bulk of the catching duties, should Jarrod Saltalamacchia not be ready to go to start the 2010 season.

This seems to suggest that the Rangers don't see Taylor Teagarden as anything other than a backup option.

Grant says that the guys the Rangers are looking at include Jason Kendall, Rod Barajas, and Brad Ausmus.

The offseason just keeps getting better and better...

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none of those names

are worth having around any more than whatever we can get out of the three headed monster we have at C, unless Kendall will sign a very tiny one year deal.

What is this, Horseville? Because I'm surrounded by naysayers.

by clark on Dec 8, 2009 8:09 PM CST reply actions

Kendall is pretty awful

a .636 OPS and a 20% CS stat. I’d sooner stick with what we got.

by twinkilling on Dec 8, 2009 8:21 PM CST up reply actions

hmm

didn’t he used to be good at something?

What is this, Horseville? Because I'm surrounded by naysayers.

by clark on Dec 8, 2009 8:27 PM CST up reply actions

Wearing armor and subsequently HBP

I think Luke French has a lot of potential. TORP potential.-Dstar

by sprite on Dec 8, 2009 8:31 PM CST up reply actions

he used to be good at hitting singles

that’s about it

A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.

by NothinG on Dec 8, 2009 8:32 PM CST up reply actions

He's one of Salty's idols

Which could explain a lot.

I failed my LSB ethics test.

"It's kind of a new stat that's in vogue" - Joe Buck on OPS

by LSJ on Dec 8, 2009 8:34 PM CST up reply actions

They could probably go to

Big Lots and get someone better.

|Space for Rent|

by RangerMad on Dec 8, 2009 9:23 PM CST up reply actions

I don't get those 3 catcher options

I’d be more willing to go after Torrealba or Doumit (via trade/ he’s a possible non-tender though)

A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.

by NothinG on Dec 8, 2009 8:12 PM CST reply actions

Doumit

How is his defense? At least Kendall is among the league leaders in that respect.

What is this, Horseville? Because I'm surrounded by naysayers.

by clark on Dec 8, 2009 8:18 PM CST up reply actions

Kendall

Hasn’t thrown out a runner trying to steal since 1999, no thanks!

by Topgun22 on Dec 8, 2009 8:20 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

I agree.

I would be thrilled to have Yorvi or Doumit. I, personally, think that’s a significant upgrade over a healthy Saltalamacchia.

"Blister please, with those wings in your spine.
Love to be with a brother of mine.
How he'd love to find your tongue in his teeth,
In a struggle to find secret songs that you keep,
Wrapped in boxes so tight, sounding only at night as you sleep." ~Jeff Mangum; Neutral Milk Hotel

by jdh90 on Dec 8, 2009 8:19 PM CST up reply actions

I think Torrealba is looking

for a 2 yr deal. ~~Pudge~~ The Nats king of screwed the Rangers in that regard.

|Space for Rent|

by RangerMad on Dec 8, 2009 9:00 PM CST up reply actions

Ramirez

I may be in the minority, but I’d rather roll with MaxRam before we signed those guys. Sure Max struggled last year, but I’d like to think when healthy he’d be better than Ausmus for crying out loud.

by OKC Ranger Fan on Dec 8, 2009 8:24 PM CST reply actions

Honestly, I love Max to death

but throwing him in the starting catchers role when most thought he was a DH type isn’t the best way to go. I hope he has a stellar offensive year and gets a shot at the club or brings his stock back up.

by jdh90 on Dec 8, 2009 8:34 PM CST up reply actions

TT as the starter

I was actually thinking MadMax as the back-up/DH. I know that leaves TT as the starter, but I think that’s better than signing these old dudes

by OKC Ranger Fan on Dec 8, 2009 8:36 PM CST up reply actions

See, I see Teagarden as more of a backup catcher too

But if our options to play in front of him are Rod Barajas, Jason Kendall and the decaying corpse of Brad Ausmus, I’d just as soon roll with Teagarden/K-Rich and pray for MaxRam to come around.

I failed my LSB ethics test.

"It's kind of a new stat that's in vogue" - Joe Buck on OPS

by LSJ on Dec 8, 2009 8:24 PM CST reply actions

x

I think Kevin Richardson is hitting about .500 in the bigs too…then there is his lovely wife as a bonus. :)

I soloed in the Mile High Club!

by horsedooty on Dec 9, 2009 1:40 PM CST up reply actions

if it were 2 or 3 years ago

i’d be all over kendall…

" This is the inning that propels us to the playoffs. Mark it down."
- Rohn Warshington on Jul 27, 2009 9:19 PM EDT
5th inning against the Tigers

by gossamer on Dec 8, 2009 8:59 PM CST reply actions

PopUp! PopUp! PopUp!

I can't help it. I’m an asshole.
-brettgardner on Jul 7, 2009 10:55 PM EDT

by Jayslick on Dec 8, 2009 8:59 PM CST reply actions

Ian! Ian! Ian!

|Space for Rent|

by RangerMad on Dec 8, 2009 9:01 PM CST up reply actions

lol

A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings.

by NothinG on Dec 9, 2009 6:44 AM CST up reply actions

You talkin to me?

I failed my LSB ethics test.

"It's kind of a new stat that's in vogue" - Joe Buck on OPS

by LSJ on Dec 8, 2009 9:01 PM CST up reply actions

pffft thats not the original PopUp!

I can't help it. I’m an asshole.
-brettgardner on Jul 7, 2009 10:55 PM EDT

by Jayslick on Dec 8, 2009 9:05 PM CST up reply actions

PopUpPartDeux.

"The only good is knowledge and the only evil is ignorance."-Socrates

by slc ranger on Dec 8, 2009 10:16 PM CST up reply actions

pop up lite

So who's todays mistress? They're coming out of the Woodswork!

by BigGuns on Dec 8, 2009 10:34 PM CST up reply actions

As long as Teagarden doesn't start for an extended amount of time then i'm fine

by Mike E on Dec 8, 2009 9:27 PM CST reply actions

also this update on Millwood

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bal-osnotes1208,0,4657734.story?track=rss&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+baltimoresun%2Fsports%2Fbaseball%2Frss2+%28+Orioles%2FBaseball%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

What is this, Horseville? Because I'm surrounded by naysayers.

by clark on Dec 8, 2009 11:22 PM CST reply actions

Here's my problem with this whole situation

Last offseason we thought enough of Taylor Teagarden that we decided not to trade him when there appeared to be ample interest in the marketplace for him and even though it was obvious to all involved parties that he was coming off something of a career year professionally.

Don’t get me wrong, he’s the sort of kid who is hellish to evaluate because he’s a smart, local product with very solid defensive/pitch calling skills. He comes across as the sort of job applicant you fall in love with in an interview to the point that you willingly look past his flaws, so it would have been hard to ship him out for just any old return. But for the org to have written him off so completely as a major league starter just one year later, to the point that we are considering the above names (and when cash is extremely tight, no less), this feels like another black eye for the folks supposedly assess a player’s major league potential in our org.

I can see grabbing a journeyman on a minor league deal to provide insurance in case Taylor, Max and Salty aren’t ready, but anything more than that just feels extremely wasteful.

What is this, Horseville? Because I'm surrounded by naysayers.

by clark on Dec 9, 2009 8:47 AM CST reply actions

agreed

It just seems shameful that clubs were knocking on our door last year wanting to deal for catching, and not only did we not take advantage of that, here we are a year later looking for some spare veteran to be a starter.

Ranger fans say "NO! NO!" to Go Go.
Keep Reinsdorf's chub from ruining my club.

by tricer on Dec 9, 2009 9:36 AM CST up reply actions