Wagner

BOSTON –– Theo Epstein made an unsettling proclamation during spring training last year.

“We don’t have the catcher of the future in the organization,” the Red Sox general manager said.

Mark Wagner is trying to prove him wrong.

Wagner, the catcher for the Double-A Portland Sea Dogs, is one of the minor-leaguers hoping to be the heir to Jason Varitek as the next longtime catcher for the Red Sox. The team’s catching situation remains up in the air as the team debates whether to bring back Varitek or trade for another young catcher to supplement recent acquisition Josh Bard.

That has provided all of the Red Sox’ in-house catching prospects a shot to prove they’re worth relying on, either this year or in the long-term.

Wagner wants that chance, and the 24-year-old certainly isn’t lacking for confidence.

“Everybody in this organization is obviously trying to be the next Jason Varitek. Everybody wants that spot,” Wagner said. “If they go and sign somebody, great. But if I go out and perform like I know I can — I don’t want to sound cocky, but I do like my odds.”

Drafted in the ninth round in 2005, Wagner put up excellent offensive numbers in A-ball at both Lancaster and Greenville, but then struggled at the plate in his first full season in Portland, hitting only .219 with 10 home runs and 48 RBI in 98 games. He walked only enough to compile a .304 on-base percentage.

Defensively, he was as strong as they come. Last year, he threw out 47 percent of opposing base-stealers, second in the Eastern League. His .997 fielding percentage was the best in all of Double-A ball among qualifying catchers.

Team officials said he had a better year than his offensive numbers indicate, but Wagner was happy to acknowledge that he had some growing up to do, and needed some time to acclimate to playing in a bracket of older, more talented players.

“It was a great learning year. There were times when I started looking at it, and I was getting frustrated with myself. And then at times I would try to do more, and try to hit the ball even better –– you know, where the line drive that gets caught isn’t good enough,” Wagner said. “I haven’t really experienced failure like that, and it was a good learning experience.”

Wagner turned it around in the Arizona Fall League this offseason, hitting .288 with four home runs in 18 games.

The Red Sox want to see more. Wagner was one of the only minor-league players added to the 40-man roster for spring training, an indication of what the Red Sox think of him, and a chance for him to show what he can do in front of big-league coaches and players.

“I look at it as a great opportunity. Being put on the 40-man is a great honor,” Wagner said.

However, even if Wagner were to wow Sox manager Terry Francona in training camp, there’s no way Wagner would make the big-league club this spring.

There are several quality players ahead of Wagner in the pecking order: Pawtucket catchers George Kottaras and Dusty Brown, both of whom are also on the 40-man roster. The two may compete for a spot on the big-league roster if the Red Sox don’t sign another catcher through free agency.

And at the same time, Wagner is still a work in progress. His offensive skills are further along than his most recent season indicates, but both sides of his game need fine tuning before he can compete at the major-league level.

Director of player development Mike Hazen said Wagner is coming along in most of those areas, and that the Sox liked what they saw during his time in Arizona.

“We’re looking for a guy to be able to run a pitching staff. We’re looking for a guy, obviously, to add some offense. But more so, we’re looking for consistency on the defensive side,” Hazen said.

“We felt like he had a pretty good offensive year, even though the numbers didn’t indicate it as well,” Hazen said. “He does have a pretty good feel at the plate, from an on-base standpoint, pitch selectivity. We think he’s going to get a little bit better there. … Defensively, Wagner throws as well as anyone in the organization.”

Wagner seems to pride himself on his defense as much as his offense, which is understandable, considering how long he’s been playing the position.

Wagner began catching only five years ago, when he was a sophomore at University of California at Irvine. Since then, the Long Beach native has been working on becoming comfortable behind the plate, and he has steadily improved. He holds up Varitek as a model and has taken some tips from him, while also watching other catchers around the league.

“I like the way Mike Matheny used to catch the baseball. He was an absolute stud catching. You could throw a golf ball up there at 110 miles per hour, and he’d block it or he’s going to catch it,” Wagner said.

Wagner covets that kind of reputation himself, though he knows he’s got a long way to go.

“Hopefully, someday, you’ll be talking to other kids, and they say, ‘Oh yeah, I really like the way Mark Wagner catches,” he said.

dbarbari@projo.com