Rangers catching job to be an open competition
At some point during Spring Training, the Rangers are going to decide who is their primary catcher: George Laird vs. Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
Saltalamacchia’s youth may prevent him from getting the job, despite having the higher upside and a stronger bat. The Dallas Morning News indicates that Laird has the upper hand on arm strength and game calling ability. As a Braves fan, one who watched Saltalamacchia catch several games before being traded to the Rangers in the Mark Teixeira deal, it’s hard to imagine anyone having a stronger arm than Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
However, Saltalamacchia still struggles to call a good game on the major league level and that may be the nail in the coffin. If he doesn’t win the starting job, he may be forced to go to Triple-A so he can play every day. If he were to win the job, Laird would likely stick on the team as the backup over Adam Melhuse.
Filed under: George Laird, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Texas Rangers