Today, the Pittsburgh Pirates were rumored to be trying to trade their catcher Ryan Doumit. Teams mentioned were the Tampa Bay Rays, San Francisco Giants, and Seattle Mariners.
When the regular season hot stove was heating up, I thought that Ryan Doumit might be a good fit at catcher for the Boston Red Sox. I even wrote an article about the potential of him coming to Boston.
Doumit, ultimately, stayed with the Pirates.
But with the Pirates apparently shopping Doumit around, he might head to Boston. Doumit hasn't been rumored to the Red Sox, but Theo Epstein has already pulled off a seemingly surprising move by acquiring Jeremy Hermida from the Florida Marlins.
If the Red Sox go after Doumit, it would be another seemingly surprising move.
Despite the Red Sox acquisition of Victor Martinez on Trade Deadline 2009, the Red Sox catching situation is still up in the air.
Martinez can't play everyday, and the Red Sox' current backup catcher is Captain Jason Varitek, who has been abysmal at the plate since 2008. V-Tek is still valued as a defensive and pitching asset, but .
Behind Varitek is George Kottaras, who previously caught knuckleballer Tim Wakefield but is even worse than Varitek at the plate.
Doumit's numbers aren't spectacular, but they're better than Kottaras's. Doumit hit .250 with 10 home runs and 38 RBI in 75 games this season. Kottaras hit .237 with one home run and 10 RBI in 45 games for the Red Sox this season.
Varitek hit .209 in 2009, with 14 home runs and 53 RBI.
Doumit would be a better offensive option than Varitek or Kottaras. If Doumit was acquired, he would be the backup to Martinez, with Varitek being the third string catcher, working almost exclusively with the pitching staff.
It could only take some low-to mid-level prospects to pry Doumit away from Pittsburgh, because he's coming off an off year.
Is Ryan Doumit the future second string Red Sox catcher? What do you think, Red Sox Nation?
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