Catch as Catchers Can

Speculation abounds that the David Ross (pictured) signing means Salty gets shipped.  Matthew Pouliot looks at the possibilities.

3. Trade Salty and sign [Mike] Napoli to create a three-headed, catching-first base monster.

That sounds scary.

One thing no one has mentioned is that Ross is 35, pretty old for a backstop. Napoli is 31; Salty is 27. Ryan Lavarnway is the spring chicken of the group at 25.

None of these guys are likely MVP candidates, but Napoli is probably the best of them, and he has the distinction of being a Red Sox killer, so it might be good to get him here.

I like Salty too, and I feel like he did the team a service by emerging as a reasonable alternative to the then-declining Jason Varitek. But he has liabilities, most notably his strikeouts.

And this situation does remind me how much Tek, in his prime, spoiled us rotten.