SB Nation - Dusty Brown

Minor League Update -- 11/23/09

Ben Buchanan — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 18:17:48 -0000

First, a weekly reminder to join in on voting for the OTM Top Prospects list here.

Arizona Fall League

Luis Exposito: 3-7, 2B, BB, 2 K -- .314/.364/.431

-A solid showing for Luis Exposito, if not quite as good as he did in Portland. Expo kept his strikeouts down and earned as many walks as he did in AA in about half as many ABs. Not a big step forward, but also not a step back.

Jose Iglesias: 1-8, 3 K -- .275/.324/.420, 3/3 SB

-Iglesias ends on a down note, but once again the story is that he wasn't completely overwhelmed in the small sample size (73 plate appearances) against higher-level minor league competition. This showing may have cleared the way for Iglesias to start in AA next year, which would be nice if only to keep him with buddy/interpreter Exposito. Also of note is the 2 home runs, which hopefully indicate some unpredicted power potential.

Ryan Kalish: 3-11, 2B, BB, 4 K -- .301/.384/.384, 6/7 SB

-While Kalish didn't exactly carry his hot streak from late in the year over to the AFL, he put on another good OBP performance. The power was a bit lacking, but this is coming on the tail end of a year in which he hit 18 home runs during the regular season—far more than he ever had before. Kalish also put on a good show on the basepaths, as he has done in years past (for instance, stealing 12 bases in 13 attempts in the 2008 winter leagues while getting under 100 plate appearances).

Casey Kelly: 0-12, 6 K -- .171/.261/.244, 1/1 SB

-Kelly keeps moving towards full time pitching. While the level of competition was predictably way over his head, he struck out in nearly half of his at bats, which is a bit too much no matter how advanced the opposition. This performance may have cleared the way to full-time pitching in 2010.

Randor Bierd: 3.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K – 6.04 ERA, 17:12 K:BB, 1.47 WHIP

-An uninspiring performance by an uninspiring pitcher.

Richie Lentz: 1.2 IP, 3 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 HR, 1 BB, 3 K – 4.11 ERA, 16:3 K:BB, 1.04 WHIP

-Lentz ended the year very poorly, giving up 6 ER over his last 2 appearances to squander a great start to the AFL. But the huge improvement in K:BB shouldn't be overlooked, and if nothing else maybe this will help him be ignored in the Rule 5 Draft.

Chris Province: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K – 3.46 ERA, 9:5 K:BB, 1.08 WHIP

-Not too bad for Province, if not as good as his year in Portland. Would have liked to have seen some K:BB improvement.

Dustin Richardson: 1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 2 K – 5.40 ERA, 18:10 K:BB, 1.97 WHIP

-Certainly not as good as his regular season performance, which brought Richardson back into the picture as a prospect. Should still get a shot for a bullpen spot during spring training, though.

Columbian Winter League

Reynaldo Rodriguez: .255/.360/.394

-The CWL does not have the best record keepers in the world, let it be known.

Dominican Winter League

Neither Navarro nor Wagner have played in a long while. I'm guessing their years are over.

Jose Capellan: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 HR, 9 BB, 4 K – 3.86 ERA, 8:19 K:BB, 1.67 WHIP

-Well, if ever there's been an example of unsustainable results, it's Capellan. Even if he has a 3.86 ERA, this has been an awful winter league for him. 8 strikeouts to 19 walks? Awful!

Mexican Winter League

Robert Coello: 2.1 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 2 K – 2.70 ERA, 30:16 K:BB, 1.35 WHIP

-This is Coello's first real chance against competition that's close to being age appropriate since he became a pitcher, and he's actually done a pretty good job of it. This last outing sort of sucked, but still, something to be said for the righty getting his first shot at starting (he's gone 5 or more innings 4 times so far).

Puerto Rican Winter League

Reymond Fuentes: 1-5, 2 K -- .200/.200/.200

-I can't imagine this is going to be a good stint for Fuentes. He played in the GCL last year and is playing in the same league as Jimenez and Bates. I don't exactly know what level this league is supposed to be at, but it's certainly over his head.

Jorge Jimenez: 2-3, 2B, BB -- .400/.538/.800

Ken Roque: 2-6 -- .333/.333/.33

-Roque very quietly put up a .317/.400/.520 line in his 3^rd year in the GCL, finally breaking through into the A-levels where he put up 32 nice ABs in Lowell without looking too overwhelmed. Roque falls into that "sleeper middle infielder" crowd with guys like Derrik Gibson.

Andrew Dobies: 2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 2 K – 13.50 ERA, 2:0 K:BB, 3.00 WHIP

-After missing 2008 due to injuries, Dobies put up a fair 2009 in Portland. This, so far, has not been an extension of that...

Sydney Winter League

Boss Moanaroa: 0-3, BB, K -- .393/.485/.571

Moko Moanaroa: 2-4 -- .308/.419/.385

Venezuelan Winter League

Yeiper Castillo: .2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K – 5.14 ERA, 5:6 K:BB, 2.00 WHIP

Leandro Marin: 1.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 0 K – 2.25 ERA, 4:1 K:BB, 1.25 WHIP

40-Man Roster Finalized, Rule 5 Draft

MLB teams had to finalize their 40-man rosters on Friday, leaving some tough decisions for teams as to which minor leaguers to protect. For the Red Sox, Jose Iglesias, Michael Bowden, Junichi Tazawa, Dustin Richardson, Mark Wagner, Aaron Bates, and Dusty Brown comprise the Minor League contingent. The most notable unprotected players available in the upcoming draft are Kris Johnson and Richie Lentz.

Game 158: Close, but ... no, not close at all, actually

Randy Booth — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 02:01:15 -0000

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

2 months ago: Boston Red Sox center fielder Joey Gathright stretches to catch a deep fly by Toronto Blue Jays' Jose Bautista in the fifth inning of a baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston on Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2009. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

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Final - 9.30.2009	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R
Toronto Blue Jays	0	2	3	0	3	2	0	1	1	12
Boston Red Sox	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Complete Coverage >

Blue Jays vs Red Sox boxscore

Congratulations, Roy Halladay! You just dominated a Triple-A lineup!

That was so bad it was funny. So bad that Dusty Brown pitched the final inning. So bad that Joey Gathright led the Red Sox with two hits. So bad that Kevin Millar hit in the No. 3 spot (for the Jays, not the Sox). So bad that ...

Well, how much does this loss really matter? The Sox are in the playoffs and although they've looked really bad, the most important thing is a lock: October. Sure, momentum is nice, but it's been proven in the past that the regular season doesn't mean much come playoff time.

Maybe -- just maybe -- it won't be so bad when the Sox finish the season with the Indians in a four game set that starts Thursday. Four game winning streak to finish the regular season?

Maybe.

Game Story: Buchho and Bowden Show, Homer Happy Sox Rock The Bird-O's

bs.uf15bosox9bears23 — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 02:02:11 -0000

by Steven Senne - AP

FEAR HIM

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Orioles vs Red Sox coverage

Buchholz pitched 7 IP of 3 hit ball, allowing only one other runner to reach, just a week after the 2 year anniversary of his no-hitter against these very same O's. Michael Bowden relieved him and finished off the shut-out, a great team effort from two of the Sox' best pitching prospects.

Bowden came back strong from his previous appearance with the club, but he's still a ways away from regaining his status as one of the upper tier prospects of the Sox' farm.

The offense made sure that Buch wasn't under any pressure all night, delivering dingers at will from the likes of Youk, Papi, Gonzo, Drew, and Pedroia (TWICE!!!). The last few innings were filled with subsitutions, giving us glimpses at Reddick, Woodward, Gathright, Dusty Brown, Green, Brian Anderson, AND... JED!!! He didn't get any PAs or plays at SS though, so we'll have to wait till next time to get a look at his wrist.

Bloody Sox Laundry - 9/8/09

bs.uf15bosox9bears23 — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 09:00:50 -0000

by Paul Beaty - AP

Why do kids make weird facial expressions when focusing?

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No holidays for me to mix up today - YAY! Oh, wait, back to school now... Darn. Anyways I found some other news that makes me extremely happy:

@SoxProspects

SS Jed Lowrie activated from DL, C Dusty Brown recalled from Pawtucket. #RedSox active roster at 34.

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND, I beat the reporters who get direct access to the locker room. Of course, I also said that he'd be on the playoff roster, which we won't know for a few more weeks - unless a certain pitcher can't go anymore.

Wakefield to be skipped - Boston Herald

Hey, umm, Jed, can you slip Wake some of those pills you take for nerve pain? Because I don't really want to have Byrd on the playoff roster - if Wake's the long reliever, he can still have an impact in low leverage innings by messing with the batters.

After the jump: another young prospect returns to help his team in its playoff run, and we just guaranteed ourselves another season of Commander Kick @$$.

@SoxProspects

Huge for Salem's playoff run: Federowicz behind the plate today for the first time in over a week. #RedSox

Josh Beckett's 2010 Option Vests - MLBTradeRumors.com

Alrighty. Why do I have a nagging feeling that Theo is going to dangle Beck as a way to get Felix or Gonzalez?

The Pawtucket Red Sox Roster Crunch

Ben Buchanan — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:08:01 -0000

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For some, it's just a stop on the way to the majors. For others, it has been home for years. With a surge of new talent on the way from the Portland Sea Dogs, Boston's AAA-affiliate Pawtucket Red Sox are about to have a major roster shake-up.

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When doing Minor Lines on an average night, Pawtucket is the least interesting team to look at. The notable names on offense, up till the promotion of Aaron Bates, were all guys who were likely to be bench players at best in their career. Chris Carter, Dusty Brown, Jeff Bailey, Jonathan Van Every. Talented ball players who often rank amongst the elite at AAA, but can't seem to take the next step and enter the world of the Majors.

Portland, on the other hand, is perhaps the most interesting team. Lars Anderson and Josh Reddick were the obvious standouts coming into the year. Wagner has exploded onto the scene with Aaron Bates. Ryan Kalish was promoted after only a month in Salem to start the year, and has slowly but surely begun to adapt to the tougher competition (.308/.325/.385 in June vs. .133/.212/.233 in May). Even less noticeable guys have performed, as 26-year-old Bubba Bell was promoted to Pawtucket today.

When a player is promoted in the minor leagues, much like in the Majors, there always has to be a counter move. Someone has to be traded, released, sent to the DL, promoted or demoted in order to make space. With such a large wave of players having legitimate shots at Pawtucket, and such a large amount of guys seemingly stuck at AAA, the Red Sox are faced with an obvious problem. Who stays, who goes, and what do we do with those who go?

Dusty Brown and Carlos Maldonado share duties behind the plate. They both share similar skill sets—good defensively, mediocre offensively—but Maldonado is a 30-year-old recent signing while Dusty Brown is a 26-year-old who has spent the last 8 years in the Red Sox farm system. Brown could also possibly carry some value down the line as a backup catcher once Wakefield decides to hang up his glove, so when Mark Wagner inevitably comes knocking, expect Maldonado to get the boot.

If Jorge Jimenez makes the jump sooner rather than later, the Sox will have an interesting choice. The PawSox have 3 players who can all play 2B, SS, and 3B in Gil Velazquez, Angel Chavez, and Travis Denker. Velazquez and Chavez are similar players. Both are older (29 and 27 respectively) with good gloves and mediocre bats. Chavez is better offensively, while Velazquez can also play all outfield positions. Travis Denker is something of a defensive liability, but is only 23 and has a somewhat better bat. The organization will probably elect to keep Denker due to his age and offense, but the choice between Chavez and Velazquez is harder. With the value the Sox put on versatility in the minor leagues, though, Velazquez seems to have an edge up.

The most crowded positions, though, are the 1B/DH and Outfield positions. Pawtucket currently rotates a trio of Jeff Bailey, Aaron Bates, and Paul McAnulty through the corner outfield and 1B positions with Jeff Natale, Freddy Guzman, and Chris Carter (usually at the DH) getting occasional turns. Currently on the DL, Zach Daeges and Jonathan Van Every are also often slotted in. Sometime next year, though, it's not at all unlikely that a majority of these spots will be filled by players currently in Portland. Lars Anderson and Josh Reddick will replace Jeff Bailey and Paul McAnulty in the starting group. Kalish will take over at center field, with Reddick seeing some starts there too.

If the Sox think they can get value for any of the guys currently in the group, they'll likely ship them off. Jeff Bailey, Chris Carter, and Jonathan Van Every are the most familiar names on the list, and the ones most likely to get some small returns. On the other hand, they're also the ones most likely to start the year with the Major League club. Depending on the future of Rocco Baldelli, Nick Green, Julio Lugo, and Mark Kotsay (not to mention David Ortiz), the Red Sox could quickly find themselves in need of a new 4^th outfielder or backup middle infielder. Bubba Bell would likely be one of the top candidates for a trade. It seems Bailey and Carter might again be fighting for a job next season, but without a spot at Pawtucket to fall back on. And if the Sox resign any of their current backups or add a few veterans in the offseason, then there could be no room for anyone.

Over the last few years, Pawtucket has stagnated a little. Aside from a few major players moving up (Pedroia, Ellsbury, Lowrie), there has been an established core of AAAA position players who every so often get their shot at a cup of coffee. Now, the core seems destined to be broken up. Already, Chip Ambres was traded to the Mets and Sandy Madera was released. For some, the change will mean new opportunities. Whether with the Red Sox or another team, some of them certainly have the ability to at least be major league backups. For others, it will be just another move in a long series of moves in their long minor league careers. And for some more it may just be the end of the road. But for the Red Sox, it will mean a vast well of talent on the very edge of the making the Majors, and a much more interesting PawSox box score.

Trades: Oh the Realities!

Allen Chace — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 07:48:01 -0000

More photos » by Darren Calabrese - AP

Contemplating a bad pitch, or an imminent move? (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Darren Calabrese)

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The title is a bit tongue-in-cheek. I don't mean to rein in Randy. I kind of mean to rein in everyone else with some "facts" with regard to trades, real and imagined.

1. Adrian Gonzalez isn't walking through that door. Hey. I love the dream as much as anyone, and it's ridiculous to say that he's untouchable or unavailable. But when his "availability" is contingent on us sending San Diego 8-12 of our top 20 prospects, it starts to lose a little bit of its luster. I'm not interested in that kind of deal, and I very much doubt that Theo would be interested in said deal as well.

2. If Adam Dunn walks through that door, it will most likely mean that someone else who has meant a lot to this organization over the last several years will have played his last game as a Red Sox. I'm not saying we won't be brought to the point of considering this, I'm just saying that the Sox aren't going to trade for Dunn and use him in the field more than once a month or so. Somewhat ditto for Victor Martinez and Mark DeRosa in that they make a lot more sense on a team that doesn't have David Ortiz than one that does.

3. When it comes to defensive upgrades at SS, Jack Wilson is more likely than anyone else. This is partially good, because Wilson's relatively high salary for an all-glove no-hit SS means that Pittsburgh will probably be receiving the baseball equivalent of a wooden nickel.

4. We can imagine that many of our minor leaguers have trade value, but here are the ones who actually do: Lars Anderson, Clay Buchholz, Michael Bowden, Nick Hagadone, Ryan Kalish, Luis Exposito, Stolmy Pimental, Josh Reddick, Mark Wagner, and to extend a bit to the bigs, Justin Masterson and Daniel Bard. Here are examples of minor leaguers with negligible or no trade value: Jonathan Van Every, Kris Johnson, Dusty Brown, Travis Denker, Chris Carter, and Jeff Bailey. Neither list is all-inclusive, but a good rule of thumb is this: If you can easily imagine parting with the player, then it's probably easy for the opposing club to decline such a trade, unless they would have monetary reasons to do so (the aforementioned Wilson.).

5. Nick Green and Julio Lugo provide acceptable offense from the 9 spot and the SS position in general. Names like Miguel Tejada and Michael Young make no sense for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that neither would solve the actual problem at SS: fielding.

6. While Miguel Cabrera is a fantastic pipe-dream, that Detroit firesale we were hearing about all winter won't come to fruition as long as the team is performing this well. Adam Everett could be available, I suppose, though I imagine Detroit would look for an NL team first if they make that decision. Ditto for Texas, who would have no real motivation to trade a player like Omar Vizquel right now. He might be a bit of a luxury for them as a utilityman, but he's a very affordable luxury for a team in 1st place.

7. Jed Lowrie is coming back. My hope is that they're going to be conservative in getting him back on the field, but he will be back, even conservatively, probably by the end of the month. Wilson might be the only appropriate acquisition we could make happen by then.

8. Me no wants to trade with Oakland. This isn't a fact, I suppose, but Billy Beane very rarely loses trades. The team, if any, that gets Matt Holliday from him this summer could very easily live to regret it. On that note, however, Matt Holliday is probably the reason that the Sox haven't been as aggressive extending Jason Bay as some think that we should. If Holliday can turn it on and prove he can hit in that big park in Oakland and in the AL, then the Sox will probably make a push for him in the offseason. Say what you want about Bay being a better player, but Holliday is definitely better defensively, and I have to imagine that's something going through the minds of everyone in the FO.

9. We're not getting a prospect back from Brad Penny. A role player is likely, one who would fill the hole of good defensive SS or of reliable RH 4th OF. That's still a good trade, because in a hypothetical world, we'd need that role player more than we would need a 5th starter when we still have Smoltz, Buch, and Bowden yet to start games in the MLs this season.

10. We've got some albatross contracts, just like many other teams. Spin it however you want: Julio Lugo and David Ortiz have negative value. If they depart, it'll be for nothing but some contract relief. Possibly. We're not going to be unloading J.D. Drew or Daisuke anytime soon either. Drew is a positive offensively and defensively, despite his real or imagined fragility and contract status. Daisuke would be giving up far too soon on an intriguing if still sometimes (all right, often) frustrating starting pitcher whose CONTRACT (not total cost, CONTRACT) is very reasonable from the Sox' point of view.

11. If a BIG move is coming this summer, it's probably going to involve something few of us would be emotionally ready for, such as the previously alluded to release of David Ortiz or a possible trade of Jonathan Papelbon. React in surprise if you must, but Paps will be 29 to begin next season, and while I don't think he'll be actively shopped, we're kidding ourselves if we believe that Theo wouldn't be prepared to go with Saito or Bard or maybe even Masterson in the closer role if someone puts a great offer on the table for Paps, who is looking for top dollar at every opportunity.

12. I guess that's all. Maybe I'm blowing smoke as much as the next guy, but I think it's important to be reasonable and thoughtful when thinking about trade rumors, especially this early in the season.

Red Sox cut catcher Josh Bard

Randy Booth — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 16:01:22 -0000

The Red Sox have placed catcher Josh Bard on "unconditional release waivers," according to the Globe.

Bard signed with the Red Sox in early January.

This leaves the Sox with three catchers in camp: Jason Varitek, George Kottaras and Dusty Brown.

I won't go and find my comments, but I was saying shortly after this signing that I didn't expect Bard to be on the roster come Opening Day. Ching! He's been cut and now we'll see who can be Varitek's backup. Perhaps a trade is in the works? It seems a little fishy the Sox would cut a veteran over two rookies, but performance is performance.

Bard was batting .429 in 14 at-bats before being cut.

Could Kottaras and Brown do the job?

Randy Booth — Sat, 27 Dec 2008 05:18:31 -0000

Red Sox catcher George Kottaras. (via www.sittingstill.net)

There is only one thing every Red Sox fan can be sure about this offseason: there is a giant hole behind the plate.

Not a literal hole, of course, but a hole left by Jason Varitek who is currently a free agent. Now we can't write off Varitek to come back to Boston, but right now it looks bleak with agent Scott Boras by his side.

Red Sox catcher Dusty Brown.But for the case of an argument, let's say Varitek does not re-sign with the Red Sox. Who does that leave us with on the roster? George Kottaras and Dusty Brown, the two most major league-ready catchers the Sox have at Triple-A Pawtucket. It's scary to think that that combo may be our catchers next season, but would it really be that bad?

The biggest downside to both Kottaras and Brown is their experience at the ML level. That would be none. Or, to be exact, five at-bats Kottaras has on his resume from late last season. No major league baseball team is going to be comfortable throwing a catcher (or two, in this case) with no experience right into the starting job to begin a season.

Let's get to know Kottaras and Brown a little bit better though. Here are their stats from Pawtucket in 2008, where they split time behind the plate:

		AB	HR	BB/SO	AVG	OBP	SLG
Kottaras (L/R)	395	22	64/110	.243	.348	.456
Brown (R/R)	297	12	40/81	.290	.341	.396

Statistically, Kottaras and Brown have their similarities and differences. Kottaras is more of a powerhouse catcher that can hit home runs and get on base at a good clip. Brown, on the other end, makes better contact, as evidence by his .290 batting average. Brown is no slouch with 12 home runs in 297 at-bats, though. All things considered, Kottaras is probably the better hitter of the two.

For an even better idea of both players, here are SoxProspects.com's scouting reports of each:

KOTTARAS
Offensive-minded catcher with 20-25 home run power potential and good plate discipline. However, his patience at the plate has led to leaving his bat on his shoulder a bit too much. Takes advantage of mistake pitches. Doesn't make contact on a consistent-enough basis. Has been somewhat pull-happy historically. Behind the plate, Kottaras' glove skills have been called into question in the past, including his ability to throw out runners, his game calling ability, and his basic fundamentals. However, he's a very hard worker and takes to developmental coaching well, and as such his skills have improved during his time in the Sox system. His game calling ability has certainly improved, as the PawSox staff has grown very comfortable with Kottaras behind the dish. On the other hand, while his arm is strong, his throwing motion still lacks quickness, and he only throws about 20% of runners out. Good at blocking balls in the dirt, and gets to bunts and fly balls well. Has extended experience catching knuckleballers.

BROWN:
Brown is an excellent defensive catcher with an exceptionally strong arm. Works well with the pitchers and calls a solid game. Decent bat, gap power and average-to-above-average plate discipline. Somewhat of a streaky hitter. Well built, strong lower body. Athletic for a catcher, but still not going to be a threat on the basepaths. Tough as nails. Brown has the makings of a great backup catcher at the MLB level, and if he can keep improving with the bat, might even get a chance to start at some point.

Defensively, Brown gets the edge over Kottaras. SP.com says Brown is an "excellent defensive catcher," but he didn't have the greatest season behind the dish at Pawtucket. Brown allowed eight errors for a .985 fielding percentage. However, having catchers split time so significantly can't possibly help players behind the plate to feel comfortable. I have to believe Brown struggled not being the every day catcher.

Kottaras allowed two errors for a .992 fielding percentage last year. However, his suspect arm only caught 15 of 80 base stealers. Brown caught 27 of 100 total attempts.

What we have here is two major league-ready catchers that are pretty much polar opposites: Kottaras is the hitter, Brown is the slick glove man. So how do we utilize them? We put them together and see how it works.

While this isn't my ideal situation (ideal: sign Varitek, trade for Jarrod Saltalamacchia), I'm not opposed to it either. Invite both to spring training and let them duke it out for the starting job. It would be great competition and allow them to push each other to make them better.

If Kottaras wins the job, then we have a pretty good bat in the lineup -- definitely a bat better than Varitek's last year. With Kottaras starting, Brown would be able to catch every five games or so and be a good defensive replacement late in games if need-be.

If Brown wins the job, then we have a pretty good defensive catcher in the every day lineup -- not to mention, his bat would most likely be better than Varitek's last year. Kottaras would provide some pop off the bench as well play every fifth day or so.

(And if you missed it, both would most likely hit better than Varitek last year. If you didn't see that the first time ... or second time.)

What do the Sox have to lose? If they don't sign Varitek and aren't willing to trade Clay Buchholz for a young catcher, I don't think the Sox are in that bad of a position. This is certainly a better scenario than having only one major league ready catcher.

A potential downside is how the catchers would handle the pitching staff. Varitek has always been great at managing his pitchers, so I wouldn't expect any replacement to pick up where he left off. We all have to realize that it if Varitek isn't the starting catcher then no matter what the new catcher won't handle the staff as well. Bottom line.

I'm willing to take this shot and see what Kottaras and Brown could do in the big leagues. It gives the Sox even more of a reason to save money and spend it on some pitching if they'd prefer (not to mention, keep Buchholz). It's a cheap option for the Sox that might work out really well.

Poll

Should the Sox take a chance and start the season with Kottaras and Brown behind the plate?

Yes

93 votes

No

55 votes

What the hell are you smoking?

72 votes

220 votes | Poll has closed

The Red Sox's 25-man roster: What does it look like now?

Randy Booth — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 00:41:32 -0000

The Red Sox haven't done anything big so far this offseason. They've been quiet ... maybe too quiet. As most of us sit back and wait for Mark Teixeira to sign on the dotted line (hopefully), I think it'd be helpful if we looked at the 25-man roster and see where the Sox are at right now:

CATCHER
George Kottaras, Dusty Brown
Yup, we have zero catchers from last year. If the season started tomorrow, Kottaras or Brown would be our starting catcher.

FIRST BASE
Kevin Youkilis
It's almost guaranteed Youk will be around this year -- at least.

SECOND BASE
Dustin Pedroia
MVP! MVP! MVP!

SHORTSTOP
Jed Lowrie, Julio Lugo
Hopefully Lugo won't be there when Opening Day rolls around.

THIRD BASE
Mike Lowell
He's still here.

OUTFIELD
Jason Bay, Jacoby Ellsbury, J.D. Drew
One of the best outfields in the bigs.

DESIGNATED HITTER
David Ortiz
He's still the rock of the lineup.

STARTING PITCHERS
Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Tim Wakefield, Clay Buchholz
Buchholz is the likely 5th man if the Sox don't make a move this winter.

RELIEF PITCHERS
Jonathan Papelbon, Hideki Okajima, Manny Delcarmen, Justin Masterson, Javier Lopez, Ramon Ramirez
Solid bullpen.

With the roster listed above, there are three spots available. Those spots, most likely, are one more bullpen arm, a fourth outfielder and either a fifth outfielder or a corner/utility infielder.

Players on the roster that could fill the last bullpen spot: David Aardsma, Wes Littleton, Miguel Gonzalez or Hunter Jones. Aardsma was on the roster last year, but Littleton was an addition recently, so the Sox probably like him out of the gate. Gonzalez was a recent Rule 5 draft pick that has potential, but needs to stick with the club or be offered back. Jones is a solid relief pitcher in the minors that we'll probably see in '09.
Players on the roster that could fill the fourth outfielder spot: Jonathan Van Every, Jeff Bailey, Chris Carter or Jeff Corsaletti. Van Every impressed in a small time with the club last season, as did Bailey. Carter is better suited as a 1B or DH, but could play a backup role. Corsaletti struggled in his first season at Pawtucket last year, but was an All-Star in Portland before his promotion.
Players on the roster that could fill the utility spot, other than listed above: Gil Velazquez or Jeff Natale. Velazguez saw some time in the bigs last year, but doesn't project more than a backup infielder. Natale is an OBP machine, but probably isn't versatile enough to play multiple positions in the bigs.

I really feel that if the Sox don't make any big moves then they are still in a pretty good position. Going into the season with Kottaras and Brown as catchers would definitely be an issue, but it's probably the only issue at all with the roster listed above. Rest easy if Mark Teixeira doesn't come by Christmas because this is still a very good team.