Projected PawSox 2009- Dusty Brown

For at least the beginning of the 2009 season, C Dusty Brown will probably be a victim of a numbers game.  Although a member of the Red Sox 40-man roster, there is little chance Brown will make the Big League squad as the back-up to Jason Varitek.  Josh Bard has Major League experience and 2008 PawSox teammate George Kottaras  is out of minor league options.

That means the 26 year-old Brown will likely start the season as the PawSox starting backstop.

Brown, the Red Sox 35th round draft pick in 2000 proved last year that he can handle the starting job at McCoy.  Brown played in 84 games last year, amassing a .290 batting average with 12 homers and 55 runs batted in.  Although he did not provide the power numbers that Kottaras did last season, Brown did have a better batting average (.290 vs.  .243) and on-base percentage (.377 vs.  .348).

The other advantage Brown had over Kottaras is his defensive play behind the plate.  Brown has cosistently been rated better at both throwing out runners attempting to steal and calling a game.

Even with all that going for him, unless Brown can get his power numbers up a bit, the offensive-minded Red Sox may only have cause to call-up Brown in the event of an injury.