Swihart requests a trade

[Kimmi]

They moved him, because...

 

A) He sucks as a catcher

 

We missed out on getting Carlos Beltran and needed a LF'er who might be able to hit.

 

He never really got a fair chance to develop as a catcher.

[Fan_since_Boggs]

C.Vazquez, WAR -1.0

 

Start Swihart at catcher for a few games and let's see how he does. We aren't benching Carlton Fish here; the guy we are putting on the bench for a few games has negative value anyway.

Edited May 17, 2018 by Fan_since_Boggs

[moonslav59]

He never really got a fair chance to develop as a catcher.

 

Why?

 

A) Because Sox management felt he would never be able to improve enough to be our catcher.

 

Because we needed a LF'er and Sox management still felt Swihart could develop as a catcher, but chose current need over the long run.

 

If it was B, I think we'd have seen Swihart catch more last year and in spring training this year.

 

The words "fair chance" are not so easy to define and aply to this situation.

 

I happen to feel that the Sox giving Swihart a chance to try and win a job at another position was as fair as they could and should have been. IMO, he was never going to develop into a capable catcher,

 

This is Swihart's 7th season in professional baseball. He's caught over 2,900 innings on the farm and 750+ at the ML level.

 

3,714 innings + 49 in winterball.

 

I think Sox management has had a significant defensive sample size to judge what's fair or not when it comes to continuing or ending his development chances as a catcher. IMO, they have made the right choice. Our slumping catchers does not make Swihart any better on defense.

[moonslav59]

C.Vazquez, WAR -1.0

 

Start Swihart at catcher for a few games and let's see how he does. We aren't benching Carlton Fish here; the guy we are putting on the bench for a few games has negative value anyway.

 

What's a "few games?"

 

5, 10, 25?

 

What does he need to do to extend the look?

 

What if he hits okay or better, but our staff looks worse? How will we know, if any decline in pitching is attributable to Swihart?

[Natick to NC]

What's a "few games?"

 

5, 10, 25?

 

What does he need to do to extend the look?

 

What if he hits okay or better, but our staff looks worse? How will we know, if any decline in pitching is attributable to Swihart?

 

The rest of the season ...that would be fair in my opinion and he'd be an upgrade by week 2 .

Edited May 17, 2018 by Natick to NC

[cp176]

This young man - yes he is still young - needs a mulligan somewhere else. A redo if you will. I don't think that anybody should be blamed for anything with respect to his development or lack thereof. Sox did what they felt they had to do. To date, he has not proven that he can play in the majors at all. Has life been fair to him? Probably not. Sometimes it works that way. He needs a restart somewhere else. It is entirely possible that ultimately he becomes the player we all thought that he might become.

[StephenCurry30]

I just don't get how we can legit say swihart isn't good enough to be an mlb catcher, but then start a below average moron in Vazquez every game. mr. -1.0 war is a disgrace.

[S5Dewey]

This young man - yes he is still young - needs a mulligan somewhere else. A redo if you will. I don't think that anybody should be blamed for anything with respect to his development or lack thereof. Sox did what they felt they had to do. To date, he has not proven that he can play in the majors at all. Has life been fair to him? Probably not. Sometimes it works that way. He needs a restart somewhere else. It is entirely possible that ultimately he becomes the player we all thought that he might become.

 

...and it's like the Red Sox think you're right, so they won't part with him.

[mvp 78]

I just don't get how we can legit say swihart isn't good enough to be an mlb catcher, but then start a below average moron in Vazquez every game. mr. -1.0 war is a disgrace.

 

If he’s a disgrace, how bad must Swihart be at practice to not get in game reps????

[a700hitter]

He never really got a fair chance to develop as a catcher.

He wasn’t denied the shot. He got some significant time catching at the beginning. Then they put him in LF and he got hurt and healed slow. There has been nothing unfair about his shot. He got a shot, but was very unprepared to be a MLB catcher. Then he ran out of options. His development has been slow and it was further slowed by his injury. He’s 26 years old.

[moonslav59]

The rest of the season ...that would be fair in my opinion and he'd be an upgrade by week 2 .

 

Your idea of fairness is warped.

[moonslav59]

If he’s a disgrace, how bad must Swihart be at practice to not get in game reps????

 

Must be pretty horrible.

[Natick to NC]

We have two camps here 1 .The Redsox have Infact given this player ample time At Catcher to know he's a failure

2. My camp ....The Redsox are inflating a subpar catcher in Vaz and throwing the baby out with the bath water in Swihart ....I'm sick of the camp saying he's been given a chance ....Bullllllllshit !!! That kid has been f***ed with for awhile now .I would start him tonight and never look back ..I wouldn't give a rip if he had an error or two ...he will hit !!! He will catch and he will be valuable ....what a circle jerk in the camp of Vaz and Sandy !!! They Suuuuuck .

[Spudboy]

He wasn’t denied the shot. He got some significant time catching at the beginning. Then they put him in LF and he got hurt and healed slow. There has been nothing unfair about his shot. He got a shot, but was very unprepared to be a MLB catcher. Then he ran out of options. His development has been slow and it was further slowed by his injury. He’s 26 years old.

 

Hmmm.

 

I think the Sox did indeed screw the pooch on his development.

 

He was a shortstop in high school. The Sox drafted him and immediately converted him to catcher. Why? Was the Sox system a complete dearth of catchers? Were they desperate for a catcher?

 

No wait. They saw Swihart's body and said "Holy s*** look at this kid. His body screams catcher!!11!" So this was their first questionable decision regarding his development.

 

They rushed him into MLB service in 2015. He was nowhere near ready on both sides of the ball. And yet, he was not a total useless piece of s*** like AJ Persinsky ( sp ). But Like AJ he could hit the f***ing ball. Which he proved by making adjustments after a slow start and hitting .280 for the season. They dicked around with him in 2016 and he got hurt hugging the lf grandstand wall with his foot. Was this his fault? Maybe. But I question why he was out in left in the first place. He should have been converted to 1st base or 3rd base based on his infield experience and his overall athleticism. Sox f***ed this one up, too.

 

He could not squat or run for over 3/4 of the 2017 season regardless of what his detractors on TS may say. They were not in Pawtucket. I saw him play. Or attempt to play. It was not pretty.

 

He raked in winter ball in PR but was infested with a parasite that weakened him and caused a precipitous loss of over 20 pounds. So after hitting over .400 in about 11 games he had to shut it down and go home to recover. This was his fault as well, I assume.

 

Now he is wasting away on the bench with no hope of starting more than once a month. Clearly his fault that he is out of options.

 

Several of you guys act as though he had finger f***ed your adolescent daughter.

 

Unbelievable.

 

 

I hope he gets a shot on another team and rakes.

[cp176]

Hmmm.

 

I think the Sox did indeed screw the pooch on his development.

 

He was a shortstop in high school. The Sox drafted him and immediately converted him to catcher. Why? Was the Sox system a complete dearth of catchers? Were they desperate for a catcher?

 

No wait. They saw Swihart's body and said "Holy s*** look at this kid. His body screams catcher!!11!" So this was their first questionable decision regarding his development.

 

They rushed him into MLB service in 2015. He was nowhere near ready on both sides of the ball. And yet, he was not a total useless piece of s*** like AJ Persinsky ( sp ). But Like AJ he could hit the f***ing ball. Which he proved by making adjustments after a slow start and hitting .280 for the season. They dicked around with him in 2016 and he got hurt hugging the lf grandstand wall with his foot. Was this his fault? Maybe. But I question why he was out in left in the first place. He should have been converted to 1st base or 3rd base based on his infield experience and his overall athleticism. Sox f***ed this one up, too.

 

He could not squat or run for over 3/4 of the 2017 season regardless of what his detractors on TS may say. They were not in Pawtucket. I saw him play. Or attempt to play. It was not pretty.

 

He raked in winter ball in PR but was infested with a parasite that weakened him and caused a precipitous loss of over 20 pounds. So after hitting over .400 in about 11 games he had to shut it down and go home to recover. This was his fault as well, I assume.

 

Now he is wasting away on the bench with no hope of starting more than once a month. Clearly his fault that he is out of options.

 

Several of you guys act as though he had finger f***ed your adolescent daughter.

 

Unbelievable.

 

I hope he gets a shot on another team and rakes.

 

I really hope that you are right. He deserves the chance. He is still young. It has been very strange what has happened this year. He is an outstanding athlete. You've been very loyal with respect to him as well. Says something about you!

[harmony]

Hmmm.

 

I think the Sox did indeed screw the pooch on his development.

 

He was a shortstop in high school. The Sox drafted him and immediately converted him to catcher. Why? Was the Sox system a complete dearth of catchers? Were they desperate for a catcher?

 

No wait. They saw Swihart's body and said "Holy s*** look at this kid. His body screams catcher!!11!" So this was their first questionable decision regarding his development.

The Red Sox drafted Blake Swihart as a catcher. From the MLB.com scouting of the 2011 draft:

 

Comments: On pure ability alone, Swihart very well could have first-round talent. That's particularly true of his bat. He's got a great swing from both sides of the plate and can really hit. He should hit for average with above-average power. Think a slightly better version of Colby Rasmus, a hitter who could hit .300 with 20+ homers annually. It's unclear where Swihart's eventual defensive home will be. A catcher in high school, some feel he won't stay there at the next level as he's not the biggest guy in the world, though he does have arm strength, and a team may not want the wear and tear of catching to take away from his offensive potential. A move to the infield seems unlikely as Swihart's lack of speed wouldn't suit him at, say, second base, so a corner outfield spot may make the most sense, and he should have enough bat for such a spot. He's expected to be a very tough sign, with a commitment to the University of Texas, so it might take a team willing to meet his asking price to get him to become a pro this summer.

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/draft/y2011/drafttracker.jsp

[mvp 78]

He still kinda sucks tho?

[Spudboy]

The Red Sox drafted Blake Swihart as a catcher. From the MLB.com scouting of the 2011 draft:

 

 

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/draft/y2011/drafttracker.jsp

 

 

I won't bother looking for it but this paragraph is not consistant with what I have read as recently as today on MLB Trade Rumors or elswhere. It was reported that he was a SS with no mention of having played catcher at all.

 

Previously, as in when he was drafted, I read that he was a 3rd baseman in HS.

 

I guess it comes down to who you believe.

 

Maybe I will PM his mother on FB and ask her.

[MADSTORK]

Another player in a long line of Minor League Developmental f###ups!

 

Thanks Ben Crockett

[moonslav59]

Good ole Wiki...

 

Swihart attended V. Sue Cleveland High School in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, where he competed in basketball, baseball, and football. Playing mainly as a shortstop, he had a .602 batting average (56-for-93) with 17 doubles, five triples, five home runs, 41 runs batted in (RBIs) and 58 runs scored in 28 games as a senior. As a pitcher, Swihart's fastball could reach 85 miles per hour (137 km/h) before he began high school, and was up to 98 miles per hour (158 km/h) by the time he was a junior. However, it was during his junior season that Swihart quit pitching because he preferred to hit, and it was also during his junior season when Swihart first began playing catcher.

Swihart played for USA Baseball's 18-Under National Team in 2010 and led his team with a .448 average, earning Louisville Slugger All-American honors. For Team USA, Swihart played first base and left field.[1] He played in the 2010 Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic. Off of the baseball field, Swihart had a 4.0 GPA.[1] He committed to attend the University of Texas at Austin on a college baseball scholarship.[3] His best friend is Alex Bregman, who plays for the Houston Astros, with whom he grew up playing travel ball.

[harmony]

I won't bother looking for it but this paragraph is not consistant with what I have read as recently as today on MLB Trade Rumors or elswhere. It was reported that he was a SS with no mention of having played catcher at all.

 

Previously, as in when he was drafted, I read that he was a 3rd baseman in HS.

 

I guess it comes down to who you believe.

 

Maybe I will PM his mother on FB and ask her.

The world is filled with fake news.

 

MaxPreps described Blake Swihart as a catcher:

 

http://www.maxpreps.com/news/nD7UOa8aEeCkhgAcxJSkrA/maxpreps-vs-gatorade-for-state-baseball-players-of-the-year.htm

 

... although the Albuquerque Journal called Swihart a utility player when he signed with the Red Sox:

 

https://www.abqjournal.com/234935/cleveland-highs-swihart-signs-with-red-sox.html

 

The Aflac National High School Baseball Player of the Year Award listed Swihart as a catcher:

 

https://insurancenewsnet.com/oarticle/Aflac-Announces-Contenders-for-National-High-School-Baseball-Player-of-the-Year-a-215187

 

Videos from 2010 describe Swihart as a catcher:

 

 

[mvp 78]

I won't bother looking for it but this paragraph is not consistant with what I have read as recently as today on MLB Trade Rumors or elswhere. It was reported that he was a SS with no mention of having played catcher at all.

 

Previously, as in when he was drafted, I read that he was a 3rd baseman in HS.

 

I guess it comes down to who you believe.

 

Maybe I will PM his mother on FB and ask her.

 

He played some C in high school, but played more SS. He woulda been Team USA’s SS, but Francisco Lindor ended up playing on that team.

[Spudboy]

Good ole Wiki...

 

Swihart attended V. Sue Cleveland High School in Rio Rancho, New Mexico, where he competed in basketball, baseball, and football. Playing mainly as a shortstop, he had a .602 batting average (56-for-93) with 17 doubles, five triples, five home runs, 41 runs batted in (RBIs) and 58 runs scored in 28 games as a senior. As a pitcher, Swihart's fastball could reach 85 miles per hour (137 km/h) before he began high school, and was up to 98 miles per hour (158 km/h) by the time he was a junior. However, it was during his junior season that Swihart quit pitching because he preferred to hit, and it was also during his junior season when Swihart first began playing catcher.

Swihart played for USA Baseball's 18-Under National Team in 2010 and led his team with a .448 average, earning Louisville Slugger All-American honors. For Team USA, Swihart played first base and left field.[1] He played in the 2010 Aflac All-American High School Baseball Classic. Off of the baseball field, Swihart had a 4.0 GPA.[1] He committed to attend the University of Texas at Austin on a college baseball scholarship.[3] His best friend is Alex Bregman, who plays for the Houston Astros, with whom he grew up playing travel ball.

 

Maybe that explains it.

 

I sent his mother a pm. I hope to hear from her soon.

 

 

By the way, his sister was a catcher in HS.

[Spudboy]

The world is filled with fake news.

 

MaxPreps described Blake Swihart as a catcher:

 

http://www.maxpreps.com/news/nD7UOa8aEeCkhgAcxJSkrA/maxpreps-vs-gatorade-for-state-baseball-players-of-the-year.htm

 

... although the Albuquerque Journal called Swihart a utility player when he signed with the Red Sox:

 

https://www.abqjournal.com/234935/cleveland-highs-swihart-signs-with-red-sox.html

 

The Aflac National High School Baseball Player of the Year Award listed Swihart as a catcher:

 

https://insurancenewsnet.com/oarticle/Aflac-Announces-Contenders-for-National-High-School-Baseball-Player-of-the-Year-a-215187

 

Videos from 2010 describe Swihart as a catcher:

 

 

 

I will believe his Mother.

[harmony]

I will believe his Mother.

In May 2011, before the Red Sox drafted him, Blake Swihart's mother shared stories on her Facebook account about her high school son, the catcher.

 

Don't make me post a link.

 

Swihart reportedly had a 4.0 GPA in high school so perhaps some day he'll find success in another field.

Edited May 18, 2018 by harmony

[Natick to NC]

To think they would let this guy go without putting him in for atleast a month ??? It's f***ing dumb .

[Slasher9]

That scouting report stated he was too slow to play infield. If I’m not mistaken...he is the fastest player on our team....

[illinoisredsox]

That scouting report stated he was too slow to play infield. If I’m not mistaken...he is the fastest player on our team....

 

Straight ahead speed means little in this context. Infielders have to move laterally and have a quick first step. Brooks Robinson was one of the slowest runners ever, but he had great lateral quickness for 2-3 steps. Mike Lowell, though not as good as Brooksie, would be a more recent example.

 

Swihart probably didn't have professional level lateral speed as a high school SS. Remember, most of these guys were shortstops, pitchers and centerfielders in high school; that's where the best amateur players play. Only a few stay there.

[notin]

In May 2011, before the Red Sox drafted him, Blake Swihart's mother shared stories on her Facebook account about her high school son, the catcher.

 

Don't make me post a link.

 

Swihart reportedly had a 4.0 GPA in high school so perhaps some day he'll find success in another field.

 

I think he will have a decent enough career as a major leaguer, most likely just as a bench player or reserve.

 

He just won't have one in Boston, but he will still make more money than I will ever see...

[notin]

Another player in a long line of Minor League Developmental f###ups!

 

Thanks Ben Crockett

 

The Sox had a pretty amazing run of successful prospect development under Cherington, and having one prospect who never made it for a variety of reasons doesn't change this. If you look at the Sox starting lineup, everyone but JD Martinez came up through the Sox system (when Pedroia returns to 2B), and only Pedroia and Hanley made MLB before Cherington became the Sox GM.

 

Even elite prospects don't make it all the time for every team. The only real issue seems to be unrealistic fan expectations that ignore this history...