I figure this would be a great way to begin my position-by-position Red Sox prospect analysis, as our incumbent catcher is a free agent this offseason.  I’ll be going into greater detail on that situation in a separate post.

Like most organizations, the Red Sox are thin at the most critical defensive position on the field.  There are some promising young catchers in the league, but they are rare commodities worth their weight in gold, and thus are hoarded by the general managers lucky enough to possess them.

But, is the backstop situation in the Boston farm system really as grim as we’ve been led to believe?  Let’s take a look at what we’ve got.  The following is a list of the Top 5 catching prospects in the organization.

1) Dusty Brown
Age: 26
2008 Level: AAA

Perhaps the most overlooked player in the entire Red Sox organization.  Most folks would disagree with my ranking here, and some don’t even consider Dusty a prospect at this point in his career.  Dusty has toiled through the minor league system for 8 years after being drafted in the 35th round.  Up until 2007, Brown was considered mainly a defensive catcher, garnering praise for his strong throwing arm and sound game-calling ability.  However, he’s recently come into his own offensively, hitting .290/.377/.471 for Pawtucket last season, and is currently lighting up the Dominican Winter League with a .905 OPS.

I will have more thoughts on Dusty when I discuss the Varitek situation later this week.

2) Luis Exposito
Age: 21
2008 Level: High A

Luis has the highest ceiling of any Boston catching prospect, but still has quite a ways to go before reaching his potential.  Like Brown, Luis has received high marks for his defensive tools, including his arm and his game-calling.  Unlike Brown, Luis has a powerful 6′3″ frame, and could become a legitimate power threat at the Major League level.

He’s probably the most “exciting” catching prospect in the system, but we’ll have to see what Luis can do in the cold confines of Portland, Maine (a much different atmosphere than the Lancaster launching pad that Luis was accustomed to in 2008.)

3) George Kottaras
Age: 25
2008 Level: AAA

Kottaras, once considered a top prospect in the San Diego Padres system before the Red Sox acquired him in exchange for baseball’s version of Charles Barkley, repeated AAA in 2008 and displayed a mild improvement.  He’s relatively decent with the bat, flashing some power, taking walks, and hitting consistently against both righties and lefties.  However, the knock on George has always been defense related.  He has difficulty throwing out runners (even more so than Jason Varitek), but reportedly has improved in other areas.

4) Mark Wagner
Age: 24
2008 Level: AA

Last season, Wagner was generally considered the top catcher in the Sox minor league system, but his stock plummeted after hitting only .219/.304/.363 and regressing defensively as a 24-year-old in Portland.  This should serve as caution for Luis Exposito, who, like Wagner, enjoyed a strong offensive year at Lancaster before reaching AA.  2009 could be a make-or-break year for Wagner, as he’ll likely repeat AA.

Wagner is currently playing in the Arizona Fall League, and has been decent at the plate, hitting .276/.344/.448 while catching for the Scottsdale Scorpions.  A recent Globe blurb mentions that his defense has been much improved in Arizona.

5) Tim Federowicz
Age: 21
2008 Level: SS A

Tim was selected in the 7th round of last year’s draft, and displayed strong defensive tools in his first professional stint at Lowell.  Still has room to improve offensively, especially in the power department (SLG% of only .315 last season).  Just missing the cut is Ryan Lavarnway.  He’s a quirky Yalie and has a Major League personality to go along with his strong offensive potential, but he’s also a 6′4″ and probably destined for first base.

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