How About Hughes For Saltalamacchia Now?
Seems the Rangers are looking to deal a backstop for some pitching…via the the Dallas Morning News with a hat tip to BBTF:
As usual, young, quality starting pitchers are in demand as baseball’s off-season begins. What’s different is that the Rangers may get to the front of the line because they’ve got the goods to offer in trade. Namely, the Rangers have a bundle of young catchers, and catchers are almost as much in demand as pitchers.
“The possibility of making a deal from the perspective of trading a strength for a strength exists,” Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said. “Pursuing pitching is something we will explore.”
The Rangers have a little something to offer anybody seeking catchers.
Want an experienced big league starter whose contract is still affordable and who would be under a club’s control for more than one year? There is Gerald Laird, who can’t become a free agent until after 2010.
Aren’t too worried about defense, but need some power and plate discipline? The Rangers can discuss Max Ramirez.
Want to gamble on a toolsy top prospect who has struggled at the major league level but has the potential to be a franchise catcher? That would be Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
The Rangers could deal all of them and still hold on to Taylor Teagarden, who hit .319 with a 1.205 on-base-plus-slugging percentage in September.
Other scenarios could have the Rangers holding another catcher and discuss Teagarden – if the pitching return is great enough.
Just this past summer, I asked the question “Would you trade Phil Hughes for Jarrod Saltalamacchia?” And, most Yankees fans said “no.”
Me? I would strongly consider it. You could have Saltalamacchia play first base in New York during 2009 – and also catch about 25 games…and then start to shift Posada to first base more in 2010 and 2011 (with Saltalamacchia catching more games). And, then, by the time Posada is just about done, maybe you could start working in A-Rod at first (with maybe Bradley Suttle playing third)…or maybe Jesus Montero then takes over at first for Posada…
What do you think?
Jesus Montero, Austin Romine, Kyle Higashioka, Chase Weems, that’s Catching depth there. A really good one, all those guys have an awesome upside.
Now name potential starters with an upside as good as Hughes. Zach McCallister, Dellin Betances, maybe Andrew Brackman.
They don’t have too much depth in the minors of pitchers like Hughes, but they do have lots of good Catchers.
So selling low on Hughes, to get a Catcher that hasn’t been able to hit consistently in Texas. Translate him to New York pressure and he’ll be even worst.
So we should trade Hughes, a pitcher with an amazing upside, for a guy that hasn’t been able prove anything, and use him as a backup Catcher?
Salty is a bust, Hughes probably, we’ll have to see if he can pitch healthy.
You want a nice trade? Ian Kennedy for Josh Hamilton last season.
A nice trade for whom? No one in their right mind would trade Josh Hamilton, let alone for someone like Ian Kennedy.
How much would you like to bet that those “great” minor league catchers will top off at “career backup” at best? Salty hardly qualifies as a “bust” yet. He retains at least as much potential for stardom as Hughes.
He said last season, when you know, Tampa let Hamilton go for NOTHING and he was picked up by Texas in the rule 5 pick.
never mind, it was the year before this year.
Right, and when he was traded, he was worth a guy who had an ERA+ of 140 and threw nearly 200 innings, not a guy on the express train to Nowheresville.
Salty hardly qualifies as a “bust” yet. He retains at least as much potential for stardom as Hughes.
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I agree, it’s too early to dismiss Salty as a bust. He’s only 23 and has just about one full season’s worth of AB’s under his belt. The Rangers are somewhat messing with his development which, given how many players they have competing at catcher, is a bit beyond their control. They should either trade Salty or keep him in AAA where he can play every day.
That being said, his minor league output only contains one truly astounding season (.314/.394/.519 in 459 AB’s in the Atlantic League). So Salty’s ceiling still isn’t as high as Hughes’s based on performance and pedigree.
Nevertheless, the point remains that Salty isn’t a bust. If the Yanks could trade for him at reasonable cost, I’d endorse it.
If you’re going to trade Hughes to Texas, I’d say Teagarden is the guy to get.
My preference would be to trade Hughes in a package for a top level starting pitcher and/or player at a position of need. Try Hughes, Kennedy and Cano to San Diego for Peavy and Adrian Gonzalez.(Throw in $ and an extra mid level prospect if need be…) When you announce the trade, simultaneously announce the signing of Orlando Hudson to man 2nd.