Right now in baseball, anybody who is anybody that claims to be an expert knows that the Texas Rangers have one of the best farm systems in baseball.
Their AAA affiliate Oklahoma City made the Pacific Coast League Championship before losing to Sacramento, and their AA team in Frisco made the Texas League Championship; however, they lost to Arkansas.
Not only is it one of the best minor-league systems in baseball, but the pipeline of catchers the Rangers currently have is rivaled no other team.
Currently, the Rangers staff four, that's right, four, catchers that can all carry the load at the major-league level.
Gerald Laird, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Max Ramirez, and Taylor Teagarden.
In this article I'm going to profile each player, their pros and cons, and their likely future with the Texas Rangers or as a piece in a trade to acquire young pitching.
Gerald Laird
The workhorse of the team, Laird has earned his spot as the starter and has had to do so over the past few years. First having to split time with Rod Barajas, then with the newly acquired Salty, and finally finishing out the season with Max and Taylor.
The pros about keeping Laird is his ability to work the pitching staff, a huge plus for a Rangers team that is littered with young pitching learning to be major-league pitchers.
Gerald is considered one of the fastest catchers in baseball, with at least 10 infield hits in each of the past two years, and he has greatly improved his throwing-out-baserunners percentage over the past two years.
Laird also brings leadership to the clubhouse and is the type of player that Team President Nolan Ryan, GM Jon Daniels, and Manager Ron Washington are trying to build this team around.
The problems with keeping Laird are his inconsistencies at the plate, he is at times injury-prone, and Laird might be at the end of his time at his prime.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia
The young phenom was acquired in the huge trade last season that sent Mark Teixiera to the Atlanta Braves.
First of all, no matter how you look at Salty's time with the Rangers, this was one of the greatest trades in team history that Daniels pulled off. And it will get better, trust me folks, Salty is nowhere near the best piece that we got in that trade.
Currently injured, Jarrod has been shutdown for the rest of the season, but he looks forward to playing fall baseball in the Arizona Fall League.
Salty has enormous upside, according to numerous major-league scouts, but his problem is that he has yet to find any kind of consistency in his two years at the major-league level.
Continued struggles behind the plate, working with his pitching staff, and consistent quality hitting has stymied Salty's chances of being the Rangers' everyday catcher.
Max Ramirez
Acquired last season in a player swap with the Cleveland Indians for then-Ranger Kenny Lofton. Remember this one, fans, this is the perfect example why the fans are fans and guys like Jon Daniels are the GM.
When this trade occurred, tons and tons of people were sad over the loss of Lofton and cursing Daniels for getting a player no one had heard of.
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2 months ago
Great Article Matt...I love reading about prospects in teams' minor league systems..Keep up the good work as community leader...Keep recruiting Rangers fans to the site!
from 2 months ago
Thanks Rory, since the Major League team has struggled the past few seasons I have gotten more into the minor league system (who is there and what they are doing)
2 months ago
Young catching prospects are COVETED in this day and age, and Mark Shapiro has done the same thing the Rangers and Jon Daniels do, stock pile them.
Most Indians fans cursed out Shapiro when he did the same thing and traded Bob Wickman for Max Ramirez from the Bravves. Funny how both Salty and Max came from the Braves..
Anyway, Max is talented as all get out.. I was okay with trading him away for Lofton, because it paid dividends and it looks like we've replaced him with Carlos Santana. But still, he was a very valuable prospect. Rangers got a hell of a player for someone who had no future with them.
I saw Teagarden with the US Baseball team and I think he was struggling at the time because he just wasn't getting it done, and Lou Marson was getting a majority of the starts. But, given his success at the major league level I'd say he has a bright future.
Great stuff Matt. I think your spot on about what they should do.. Both Laird and Salty have high trade value and getting a few pitchers in return would be huge for that team in 2009 and beyond.
from 2 months ago
Thanks Nino. There are a fun bunch to watch, been going to games lately and keep seeing Max and Taylor play. Teagarden did struggle at the plate in Beijing, but has been amazing here back at home. The Max trade made sense for the Indians last season when y'all were making a playoff run and needed Lofton.
It would be tough going into next season with Max and Taylor as the two catchers, but this is a Rangers team that is building for 2010 and hoping for 2009, so I say go for it.
2 months ago
I just hope Teagarden gets a starting job somewhere next year because I have him in my Keeper Fantasy League.
from 2 months ago
Right with you Collin, I just picked him up this week in hopes of the same thing
2 months ago
Of the four catchers only Laird appears to be defensively capable of sticking behind the plate long term. While Salty, Max, and Teag are all young and could certainly improve behind the plate, not one is truly deemed as a guy who can sit back there for 5-7 seasons.
That being said, IF the club can deal Salty, Max, and/or Teag as 'catching' prospects, and a team is willing to pay a premium for the fact that these guys currently play catcher, then certainly that is a trade you make.
Otherwise, you sit on the four and HOPE that you get two solid major leaguers out of the group. The Rangers have long term openings at one of the CI positions as well as at DH.
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