BOURNE, Mass. — Former Boston Purple Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia appears to be like round MLB lately and would not personally know lots of the gamers taking the sector.
However the 2013 Purple Sox World Sequence champion is accustomed to the catcher Boston simply acquired previous to the commerce deadline.
Saltalamacchia had a cup of espresso with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2017 on the tail finish of his 12-year profession within the large leagues and that is the place he obtained to know fellow catcher Danny Jansen. He additionally knew Reese McGuire throughout his transient time with the Blue Jays — McGuire was designated for task by the Purple Sox after they traded for Jansen.
Jansen may not have been round Saltalamacchia, who’s in his third season as an assistant coach for the Bourne Braves of the famend Cape Cod Baseball League, for lengthy, however the veteran backstop clearly left an impression as he labored his means as much as the main leagues.
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“Labored with him in spring coaching. Each of them had been phenomenal youngsters,” Saltalamacchia instructed NESN.com. “I felt like Danny was a bit extra polished as a catcher and clearly he was a extra polished hitter, too. I at all times felt like he was going to be an excellent participant for a very long time.”
Jansen became a stable contributor and terrific locker room presence over his six-plus seasons with the Blue Jays. Toronto was the one group Jansen had identified in his profession, however with the Blue Jays in promote mode on the deadline, they shipped him to the Purple Sox for 3 prospects.
It is by no means simple getting uprooted in the midst of a season, however Saltalamacchia believes Jansen will match proper in with the Purple Sox.
“I feel it is a great place for him,” Saltalamacchia mentioned. “I imply, he is accustomed to the AL East. So, it is nothing new to him. I feel he’ll assist these pitchers out. Clearly, (Connor) Wong goes to be an enormous a part of that.”
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It most likely wasn’t a coincidence that Brayan Bello had one in every of his greatest outings of the season with Jansen behind the plate in his first begin in a Purple Sox uniform towards the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday.
Bello seemed in management with Jansen catching him because the right-hander tossed 6 1/3 innings through which he scattered seven hits, allowed two runs, issued two walks and struck out seven.
Jansen is not precisely a power-hitting catcher however he discovered one other strategy to contribute to a much-needed 3-2 victory in 10 innings. The 29-year-old leveled the rating within the backside of the sixth when he singled to proper subject to deliver house Dominic Smith. Jansen completed the competition 2-for-4.
The Purple Sox definitely will look to Jansen to assist out the pitching employees and supply extra well timed hitting with Boston pushing for a playoff spot.
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