H/W: 6-1 200 lb. B/T: R/R DOB: 12/21/83
It was a tale of two seasons for the former Texas Longhorn. Teagarden was truly terrible during his minor league stops at AA Frisco and AAA Oklahoma City, hitting just .211 with 9 HR 22 RBI and 82 K's in 73 games. This performance was good enough to earn him a shot with the Rangers and he responded by tearing the cover off of the ball, hitting .319 with 6 HR 17 RBI and 5 doubles in just 47 AB. Teagarden has widely been recognized as a top-tier defensive catcher with good pop from the right side, He has excellent leadership skills and has made good progress in calling games behind the dish. His plate discipline has waned from its 2007 levels, but he is an intelligent hitter who has the ability to work deep into counts and recognize offspeed pitches. Injuries are a nagging concern for Taylor. He had Tommy John surgery following his '06 season at Texas and missed some time in '08 with shoulder soreness. Aside from those concerns, Teagarden is a throwback catcher with the defensive skills and powerful bat that is an asset to any organization.
2009 Projection: Teagarden looks to be the backup to Jarrod Saltalamacchia this season. There were some murmurs during the offseason that either Teagarden or Salty would be sent to the Red Sox in a deal, but nothing materialized. This is something worth watching, however, as both Taylor and Jarrod are too talented to be backup backstops. Teagarden continues to drive the ball well this spring, but his ability to maintain a good batting average is a mild concern. The Rangers did not make the necessary additions to their pitching staff to become a serious postseason contender this season, but if they can stay in contention in the A.L. West, either Saltalamacchia, Teagarden or slugging savant Max Ramirez could be included in a deal at some point this season.
Key Taylor Teagarden Baseball Cards:
- 2007 Bowman Signs of the Future Auto
- 2008 Bowman Chrome Draft
- 2008 Bowman Sterling Auto
- 2008 Donruss Threads Auto #/475
- 2008 Topps Red Hot Rookie Redemption #18
 TAYLOR TEAGARDEN 08 BOWMAN CHROME BLUE REFRACTOR RC /99 $9.99 |
 TEXAS RANGERS 2009 TOPPS TEAM SET-TAYLOR TEAGARDEN-READ $2.00 |
 2008 Bowman Sterling Black Ref Auto Taylor Teagarden RC $40.00 |
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