They needed another Canadian so Jason Bay would have someone who understood his language.

He's out of options... so, um. What now? Wakefield has more than earned another go at $4 mil and I guess that means year two of the Kevin Cash era. Kottaras showed some nice power in Pawtucket, so I can't imagine he'd clear waivers.

He's out of options... so, um. What now? Wakefield has more than earned another go at $4 mil and I guess that means year two of the Kevin Cash era. Kottaras showed some nice power in Pawtucket, so I can't imagine he'd clear waivers.

This is not an issue until Opening Day 2009. Don't lose sleep over it.

I think that TEA is actually a White Sox fan. My apologies, if I'm wrong.

Nah, I am a Red Sox fan, but semi-permanently transplanted in the Midwest for grad school. I'm an enternal pessimist, so maybe that counterbalances one half of one percent of kevin's unabashed homer-ism.

kottaras caught zink and steve sparks, so wakefield is probably a non-issue. he would probably be ok, even though his defense is supposed to stink. i guess the question is: does a bad defensive catcher get worse or look the same with a knuckleball pitcher?

he's going to be working with the bullpen staff, and they will probably evaluate whether or not he's ready to be given a shot. i would imagine he'll just be a bullpen catcher for the next 3 weeks and then we'll see him in spring training. maybe he'll pinch hit once or twice but i don't think they are worried about his offense.

"i guess the question is: does a bad defensive catcher get worse or look the same with a knuckleball pitcher?"

Probably depends on the pitcher. And the catcher.

4 catchers!

He's out of options... so, um. What now?

Kotteras and Julio Lugo for Matt Cain!

OK, TEA. I think I mixed you up with the guy that used to go by "vicinity of the zip code of brain power." At one point I think his handle was Theocentric.

Wait, Kottaras is out of options? How?

Contract purchased 11/05. Optioned in '06, '07, and '08. I don't know if he qualifies for a fourth option - I haven't read the fine print on that rule.

I thought options were for years split between the minors and MLB.

soxprospects.com has him out of options.

No. Options are for any year that you are on the 40 man roster and outrighted to the minors.

No. Options are for any year that you are on the 40 man roster and outrighted to the minors

To be pedantic, you mean 'optioned' to the minors. Outrighting would take him off the 40-man.

No. Options are for any year that you are on the 40 man roster and outrighted to the minors.


Almost. Outrighting a player to the minors is different than optioning a player.

Everybody on the 40-man roster that is simply sent down to the minors before the start of a season is on optional assignment, so 2008 was already an option year for Kottaras (assuming without looking that he was on the 40-man in spring training).

OK. Why was he put on the 40-man roster in September, 2006? Seems like a waste of an option year.

Kottaras showed some nice power in Pawtucket, so I can't imagine he'd clear waivers.

I think he'd clear waivers.

Kottaras has decent power, but he hit 240 while repeating AAA and his arm/glove make him less than ideal as a backup catcher.

Won't Kottars be a minor league FA after this season? I'd expect him to wind up wherever he feels he has a better chance of getting a MLB job (even if as a back up). The Sox have both Brown and Ross, who are supposed to be pretty good defensively, so I can't see him taking the job of Wakefield's caddy (but I also wouldn't bet on Cash keeping that job either).

I think he'd clear waivers.

I think you underestimate just how awful backup catchers in the league are. Just off the top of my head - Guillermo Quiroz, Rob Bowen, Dane Sardinha, Jeff Mathis, Toby Hall are all probably worse than Kotteras right now.

Is it certain Wakefield's going to be back? I mean, I kind of assume, hey, 41's just on the back end of the prime for a knuckleballer, but that point is overstated. All I know is what I read, but it seems like his shoulder is really bothering him by this point, he certainly isn't in it for the money, and I've kind of been assuming he's going to retire after this season.

Red Sox fanatics, am I wrong? Is he coming back? Please tell me he is. I don't want to face life without Tim Wakefield.

Just off the top of my head - Guillermo Quiroz, Rob Bowen, Dane Sardinha, Jeff Mathis, Toby Hall are all probably worse than Kotteras right now.

Did you really name that many obscure backup catchers off the top of your head? I'm impressed.

Kottaras can almost certainly outhit those guys, but most teams seem to prefer a defense-first backup catcher.

Unless Kottaras's defense has come a long way, he's JR House 2.0.

Kottaras was put on the 40 man roster in 11/05 to take him out of the Rule 5 Draft pool. So for 2006 and subsequent seasons, he had to be either optioned or outrighted (and removed from the 40 man roster). To be outrighted, he would have had to clear waivers. The BoSox obviously didn't think he would.

He does not qualify for a fourth option year. You have to have less than five years of professional experience. In this case, a "year" is 90 or more days and DL time counts. In addition, an option year doesn't count as one of a player's three (or four) if the player spends less than 20 days total in the minors. This doesn't apply to Kottaras, either. It does apply to Jeff Francoeur and his three day stint in AA. The Braves did not burn one of Francoeur's options in that case.

Thanks