Baseball in Fort Wayne

Posts Tagged ‘Boston Red Sox’

In 2001, the San Diego Padres drafted David Pauley out of high school in the eighth round. In 2003 with the Wizards, he posted a 7-7 record with a 3.29 earned run average to go along with 117 strikeouts and 38 bases on balls over 117.2 innings pitched. He started in 21 of his 22 games and did earn one save as a Wizard.

By 2004, Pauley had received recognition by Baseball America as the seventh best prospect in the San Diego Padres organization. However, after the 2004 season, San Diego shipped Pauley to the Boston Red Sox along with Jay Payton and Ramon Vazquez plus cash in exchange for speedy Dave Roberts.

In May of 2006, Pauley made his Major League debut, starting against the Toronto Blue Jays. He was called up from Boston’s Double-A affiliate at the time (Portland) to spot start for the injured David Wells. He allowed six runs on 11 hits over just 4 and two-thirds innings. However, despite the poor first outing, the Red Sox did win 8-6.

“I was definitely nervous,” Pauley said. “I knew it was going to be tough. I thought I dealt with it pretty well. It’s just a stepping stone to my next one” [source: YahooSports]

He appeared in two more games with Boston during the remainder of the 2006 season, pitching in a total of 16 innings, while also pitching with the Red Sox’s Triple-A squad. Pauley pitched all of 2007 in Triple-A Pawtucket.

In 2008, Pauley began the year with Triple-A Pawtucket where he went 14-4 with a 3.55 ERA and 103 strikeouts over 147 innings pitched. In August, he returned to the Fenway mound – but it was against the Charlotte Knights in a “Futures at Fenway” game. He went seven innings, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out four en route to his thirteenth victory of that season in front of 36,000 spectators.

Pauley did get the chance to pitch a couple innings in relief with the Red Sox in September. The moves that Boston makes over the course of this offseason will likely play big into Pauley’s future. He is on Boston’s 40-man roster and therefore not in jeopardy of being snagged in the upcoming Rule-5 Draft. His solid season in Pawtucket seems to indicate that he has figured out Triple-A and is looking for his place at the next level. Whether he can crack the rotation in Boston or land a place in the bullpen remains to be seen.

Pauley mixes a very good sinker with a low 90s fastball with good movement,  a good changeup, and a nice curveball.   Has 5th starter potential at the MLB level. Pauley has demonstrated solid success against AAA competition for extended periods of time, but has yet to impress much at the big league level, although he hasn’t been given much of an opportunity. Needs to improve his control somewhat.   Gives up a lot of home runs.  Good fielder with a strong pick-off move [soxprospects.com].

Boston also has to fill the catcher and fourth outfielder spot; which could be filled by former Wizards George Kottaras and Paul McAnulty (though it is unlikely). Boston has been known to pull of some solid trades in recent years, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see Pauley get shipped or slotted in at the number five role, which is currently available to my knowledge.

Regardless, it seems that Pauley should and will be entering Spring Training in 2009 with his eyes set on winning a job on the Major League roster.

Update – January 19th, 2009: OMG! I was right! David Pauley got traded . . . to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for pitcher, Randor Bierd. Hopefully Pauley will get a good shot at cracking the Major League roster.

Update – July 4, 2010: David Pauley was granted ffree agency from the Orioles in November of 2009 and he signed with the Seattle Mariners about a month later. Through 2010, Pauley had been 1-6 with a 3.68 earned run average in 15 games for the Triple-A Tacoma Rainiers. Last week, he was called up to the Bigs when Mike Sweeney went on the DL. Pauley hasn’t allowed a run in three innings since being recalled.

With the Boston Red Sox seemingly parting ways with Jason Varitek, David Ross joining the Braves and having the Yankees snagging the now former Red Sox catcher, Kevin Cash, today, former Wizards catcher Goerge Kottaras is seemingly the incumbant Red Sox catcher. For now anyway.

Kottaras sports a hefty .200 batting average in 3 games and 5 at-bats at the major league level after having made his MLB debut last season. He was once a highly regarded prospect. In 2004, Kottaras played in the Olympics as first baseman and backup catcher for the Greece team. He collected three hits to help the team come from behind and defeat Italy 11-7. It was the team’s first and only win.

The following year, he did well at High-A, batting .303 before his promotion to Double-A Mobile. He was traded to the Boston Red Sox in September of 2006 to complete an Aug 31 trade for David Wells. That year, Kottaras was a Futures Game selection. During the game, he slugged a two run homer off Phillip Hughes and also collected an RBI off of Homer Bailey.

Yet, since that time, his average has been pretty much on the decline. Having spent two seasons at Triple-A Pawtucket, he got his chance very late in the 2008 season as a September callup, but the bench was pretty much full of backup catchers at that point and there was no sure thing he’d see any MLB action. Fortunately he did, and perhaps he was able to make a good impression on Francona and others.

But one has to suspect that the Red Sox will sign a catcher before (or two) before Spring Training. I’ve speculated in the past that they might try to pry away one of Texas’s young catchers, and latest word I have heard says that they were recently scouting Jarrod Saltalamacchia. There are a few catchers on the free agent market still, including two former Wizards, Jarvier Valentin and Chad Moeller (whom I thought was on his way to Baltimore). Might they take a chance on Ivan Rodriguez?

See Also: Wizards Where R They? George Kottaras

Photo by Chad Gramling

I’m a little behind on this, but former Wizards Catcher, George Kottaras made his Major League debut on Saturday, September 13th. That makes him the 76th former Wizard and the 14th of the season to do so.

Kottaras entered in the 7th inning that saw a flurry of other defensive replacements. I guess being down 8-0 will do that to a team late in the game. In the bottom half of the inning, he struck out in his first MLB at-bat, only to take first base on a wild pitch and later scored on a sacrifice fly from Kevin Cash after reaching third. In the bottom of the ninth, he flied out to right.

Back on Aug. 31, 2006, the Red Sox acquired Kottaras from the Padres for David Wells, thinking he could be their catcher some day.

It remains to be seen if or when that will be, but catcher Jason Varitek is eligible for free agency this winter. Kottaras had a good year at Triple-A Pawtucket, belting 22 homers to go along with 65 RBIs.

While Varitek’s future is undecided, Kottaras is using these last few weeks of the season to learn whatever he can from the captain.

I still don’t see Kottaras in Boston’s long-range plans. they seem to really be coveting Texas’s Jarrod Saltalamacchia. 

Related BBIFW Posts:

• Wizards Where R They: George Kottaras
• Macias & Ekstrom to Join Padres Roster
• Wizards’ Alumni (Page)

In 2002, the San Diego Padres selected George Kottaras in the 20th round of the draft with the 595th overall pick.

In 2004, he put together a solid 78 games with the Fort Wayne Wizards, collecting 84 hits, 40 runs, 18 doubles, 7 home runs and driving in 46 runs while drawing 51 walks over 271 at-bats. He boasted a .310 average, a .415 on base percentage and a .461 slugging percentage.

Also in 2004, Kottaras played in the Olympics, where he served as first baseman and backup catcher for the Greece team. He collected three hits to help the team come from behind and defeat Italy 11-7. It was the team’s first and only win.

The following year, he did well at the High-A level, batting .303 before his promotion to Double-A Mobile. Since that time, his average has been pretty much on the decline. He was traded to the Boston Red Sox in September of 2006 to complete an Aug 31 trade for David Wells.

Also in 2006, Kottaras was a Futures Game selection. During the game, he slugged a two run homer off Phillip Hughes and also collected an RBI off of Homer Bailey.

Today, he remains in the Rod Sox farm system where he is in the second consecutive season with Triple-A Pawtucket. As a Minor Leaguer who hasn’t yet gotten even a cup of coffee with a big league club, Kottaras has been an All-Star twice in addition to his other achievements.

Given the lackluster performances of Boston’s catchers this season and Jason Veritek’s impending free agency, I thought we’d get a chance to see Kottaras this season. Yet, with Kevin Cash emerging as the heir to Doug Mirabelli in catching Tim Wakefield’s knuckleball, and Veritek’s status as a BoSox living legend, it’s doubtful. And now, it appears that the Red Sox are targeting catchers in the trade market (perhaps they may be after the Texas Rangers’ Taylor Teagarden, who was recently sent back to Triple-A after a short stint with the big club.

On a bright note, Kottaras seems to have found his power stroke this year, however. On the season, he’s hitting .235 with a career high 19 home runs and 55 RBI’s. He’s drawn 52 walks and struck out 84 times in 307 at-bats. Three of his dingers have come in the last ten games.

Photo by Chad Gramling