With the increasing use of Jason Varitek—beyond a simple "Dice-K/Beckett" platoon—one has to wonder if Jarrod Saltalamacchia's days in the bigs are numbered. If the Red Sox pull off a deal for a more experienced backstop (Pittsburgh's Ryan Doumit is available), it would make sense to send Salty to Pawtucket for more "seasoning" (sorry). NESN's Mike Cole has suggested as much.Doumit has had injury woes, is a defensive "work-in-progress" and would cost Boston over $5 million. But how much is the post-season worth to Theo and The Trio? He is hitting above .270 this year and has thrown out 31% of runners. Decent on both counts—and he's only 30 years old. The Sox can't continue to overwork a nearly 40-year old catcher while hoping that Salty "comes around".
All things considered, a trade for Doumit (parting with some middle infield talent like Scutaro or a prospect) seems to make sense.