Trade to Boston revitalized Saltalamacchia's career

Once a first-round draft pick with tremendous potential, catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia spent most of 2010 struggling for the Texas Rangers' Triple-A affiliate, the Oklahoma City RedHawks.

He hit just .244 in 63 games and had trouble throwing the baseball back to the pitcher, an issue that started as a physical problem and turned into a mental one.

Texas had seen enough.

It gave up on Saltalamacchia, the centerpiece prospect when it obtained him and four other players from Atlanta in exchange for All-Star Mark Teixeira in 2007.

On July 31, 2010, the Rangers dealt the then 25-year old catcher to Boston for two minor leaguers, cash and a player to be named later.

"I definitely feel coming over here changed my career," said Boston's starting catcher. "It's nothing that Texas did or didn't do. But (Boston) let me play and brought back my confidence."

The trade revitalized Saltalamacchia, who is playing at an All-Star level this season. He entered Friday leading all major league catchers in home runs (10) and tied for fifth among catchers in doubles (10), ninth in runs (19) and 10th in RBIs (24).

Saltalamacchia finally seems to be developing into the catcher many thought he would become. And Boston manager Bobby Valentine and players around the league have said he is All-Star worthy.

"He throws the ball very well, he's calling a good game, he's been blocking the ball well and he's an offensive threat," said Tampa Bay DH Luke Scott, who had a heated exchange with the catcher during the team's recent bench-clearing brawl. "He's got a lot of power in his frame and a lot of power in his swing. He's got some good bat speed."

Detroit Tigers backup catcher Gerald Laird, who beat out Saltalamacchia for the Texas starting job at the start of 2008, said Saltalamacchia put pressure on himself back then.

"And sometimes an organization can put a lot of pressure on you," Laird said. "Sometimes you could see he wasn't being himself."

Laird said Saltalamacchia looks great behind the plate and now is having fun playing.

"Sometimes you could see he was trying to do so much to impress the Rangers and (validate) the trade," Laird said.

Troubles in Texas

Saltalamacchia hit the ball well and with some power during his rookie season in 2007 with Atlanta and Texas.

But he played in only 61 games in 2008 and recorded just one at-bat in September because of an elbow injury.

He then hit just .233 with a .290 on-base percentage in 84 games in 2009.

"I wanted to impress and be with a team long-term," he said. "I might have been pressing a little bit."

There was more to it. In June 2009, Saltalamacchia got in a minor car accident, which caused thoracic outlet syndrome. That resulted in tingling and numbness in his right arm.

His arm felt fatigued after a couple of throws but he played through it until Aug. 14. He couldn't even feel the baseball in his hand by then and had surgery in September.

"Thoracic outlet syndrome is a group of disorders that occur when the blood vessels or nerves in the thoracic outlet — the space between your collarbone (clavicle) and your first rib — become compressed," according to Mayoclinic.com.

Saltalamacchia thinks he returned too quickly and his arm slot changed, causing his throwing problem. Recovering from the surgery, he said, takes about 17-22 weeks but he was throwing four weeks after it because the Rangers were pressuring him to play Winter Ball.

Having trouble playing a simple game of catch when the 2010 season began, Saltalamacchia visited with sports psychologists Harvey Dorfman and Tom Hanson.

Unpredictable trade

Tampa All-Star outfielder Matt Joyce put it perfectly when he said not many people around baseball knew what to except from Saltalamacchia when he was traded to Boston.

"I thought he'd do OK, but he's really opened up a lot of eyes around the league and definitely earning a lot more respect," Joyce said.

With throwing problems, injuries and a low batting average haunting Saltalamacchia in the two years before the trade, nobody, not even Saltalamacchia, knew what the Red Sox were getting.

"There's no guarantees," Saltalamacchia said.

Saltalamacchia credits his turnaround to several Red Sox coaches, including bullpen coach Gary Tuck, who has worked tirelessly with him improving his defense.

"I owe that guy my life," Saltalamacchia said. "He's taken offseason (time) to spend time with me."

Teammates David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia and now retired catcher Jason Varitek helped boost his confidence.

"I never had guys who have been All-Stars and World Series winners look at me and say, 'You're a winner,'" Saltalamacchia said.

What has helped the most is enjoying the game.

"I had been through so much with the throwing issues, the injuries, the surgeries that I really just wanted to play the game (and have fun) again," he said.

Battling in Boston

Saltalamacchia had his ups and downs last year, his first full season as the Red Sox starting catcher. He hit just .162 during the September collapse, decreasing his season average to .235.

Highly-touted rookie Ryan Lavarnway actually started the crucial final two games. Some speculated the Red Sox started Lavarnway because Saltalamacchia had been struggling so much offensively and the Sox were losing confidence in him.

Saltalamacchia said Wednesday that the reason he didn't start the final two games last year was because of getting hit in the collarbone.

"He's not as free a swinger as he used to be and he knows his approach. Yesterday he drove a ball to the opposite field out of the ballpark," Laird said Tuesday. "But we've always seen that type of talent. It was just if he could ever put it together."

This season, he has.