Swihart DFA

[Station 13]

Just announced.

[a700hitter]

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019/04/red-sox-to-designate-blake-swihart.html

 

It is a tough break for the kid, especially on the heels of his brother’s death. At times, baseball can be a brutal business.

[moonslav59]

I'm a big Leon supporter, but I am surprised they made this move this quickly.

[jad]

I don't understand this. Was the whole deal an 'experiment'? If he hits .300 he stays? If it's .230 he's gone?

[a700hitter]

I'm a big Leon supporter, but I am surprised they made this move this quickly.

I think our starters missed throwing to Leon.

[a700hitter]

I don't understand this. Was the whole deal an 'experiment'? If he hits .300 he stays? If it's .230 he's gone?

This was about his catching and handling of the pitching staff.

[TylerD]

I think our starters missed throwing to Leon.

 

Agreed.... When the team is struggling like this especially the starting rotation, I guess moves like this shouldn't surprise us. I still feel bad for the guy.

[jad]

This was about his catching and handling of the pitching staff.

 

I'm sure you're right. I confess, the intricacies and subtleties of the argument over whether a catcher is responsible for pitchers' success were too abstruse for me to follow, so I am having difficulty determining whether (and whose) remarks on this topic are ironic.

[dgalehouse]

" Here I come to save the day . That means that Sandy Mouse is on the way ....."

[Spudboy]

I bet he ends up with the Yankees.

 

I would prefer that he lands with a team like San Diego.

[jung]

Agreed.... When the team is struggling like this especially the starting rotation, I guess moves like this shouldn't surprise us. I still feel bad for the guy.

 

Yup...Swi's bat was seen as his salvation and he just was not performing like it. We knew this was a fish or cut bait effort for the Sox with Swi. Lesson to ballplayers....gotta' know what your opportunity represents and gotta' take advantage of it especially when you getting paid nothing. Thought they would go longer with Swi but those last few AB's were pretty disappointing and they were not going to give Swi three weeks to heat up. That was not happening under the current conditions.

 

I still will never like the way Swi was treated here in that they stuck him in LF as if he could just play there. He ends up crushing his ankle.....predictable given how hard it is to learn Fenway Outfield positions.

 

Then again, carrying three catchers worked for them last year. Could they have given Pedey more time playing minor league ball and thus given Swi more time? We will never know now.

 

I wonder if they will throw Sandy right in to catch Sale tonight. Somehow this timing makes me think that is the plan.

Edited April 16, 2019 by jung

[Station 13]

While at it DFA Nunez too. Useless s***.

[harmony]

What are the odds that Blake Swihart will go unclaimed and then optioned to Pawtucket?

[jung]

What are the odds that Blake Swihart will go unclaimed and then optioned to Pawtucket?

 

Would not be a total surprise. But somebody is probably going to gamble that Swi is just a riddle that the Sox have not been able to solve and will take a shot on him on that score alone.

[iortiz]

I still believe BS is a better option than Vazquez and Leon. They are not sucking because the catching. They suck because they simply suck. In Sale’s case the velo simply isn’t there. BS was simply the scapegoat.

[TylerD]

Yup...Swi's bat was seen as his salvation and he just was not performing like it. We knew this was a fish or cut bait effort for the Sox with Swi. Lesson to ballplayers....gotta' know what your opportunity represents and gotta' take advantage of it especially when you getting paid nothing. Thought they would go longer with Swi but those last few AB's were pretty disappointing and they were not going to give Swi three weeks to heat up. That was not happening under the current conditions.

 

I still will never like the way Swi was treated here in that they stuck him in LF as if he could just play there. He ends up crushing his ankle.....predictable given how hard it is to learn Fenway Outfield positions.

 

Then again, carrying three catchers worked for them last year. Could they have given Pedey more time playing minor league ball and thus given Swi more time? We will never know now.

 

I wonder if they will throw Sandy right in to catch Sale tonight. Somehow this timing makes me think that is the plan.

 

Agreed completely. If we were battling for top spot or just a couple games behind I doubt this move happens..... But unfortunately when you win the World Series and have basically the same team the next season and have the 5th worst record in the league through the first 3 weeks (granted it's early) it still warrants some changes. I like Swi I really do but I am not overly surprised as some to see this.

[vegasbob]

If Porcello and Sale respond well to the return of Leon, then I say f*** those two. If you can't throw effective pitches, don't tell me the catcher is your problem. Swihart , in fact, did not look especially good behind the plate (blocking pitches in place) and his hitting approach looked bad the last few AB's. So , no real objection to the DFA move, but it better not be in response to possible whining from some half assed throwers who are impersonating a couple of the Sox staff.

[Jasonbay44]

Why even have him on team if his leash was that small? I don’t understand

[Bellhorn04]

Why even have him on team if his leash was that small? I don’t understand

 

17 games may not seem like much.

 

But it was enough to fall 6.5 games behind the Rays.

[Bellhorn04]

Thus concludes Leongate.

[SCM33]

What are the odds that Blake Swihart will go unclaimed and then optioned to Pawtucket?

 

0%

 

Just wait until Sale is throwing 89MPH tonight and the NYY light his ass up with the savior Leon catching. I hope I’m wrong, but fear I’m not.

 

What a stupid knee jerk reactionary move.

 

DFA Nunez, not Swihart. They really f***ed with that kids career.

[Jack Flap]

So I guess Swihart is the scapegoat for the starters not being prepared for the start of the season...okay, then. Edited April 16, 2019 by Jack Flap

[oldtimer]

0%

 

Just wait until Sale is throwing 89MPH tonight and the NYY light his ass up with the savior Leon catching. I hope I’m wrong, but fear I’m not.

 

What a stupid knee jerk reactionary move.

 

DFA Nunez, not Swihart. They really f***ed with that kids career.

 

As far as making judgments on hitting, Betts is off to even a worse start than Swi, so it seems premature to DFA as yet. Cora probably been facing a lot of pressure to bring Leon up for the same reason fans on this site have advocated for Leon. It remains to be seen what happens, but the die is cast now and Swi probably is gone for good. Leon is hitting half the avg that Swi had at Pawtucket so some great transition in our pitching staff will be needed to justify this move.

[Jasonbay44]

17 games may not seem like much.

 

But it was enough to fall 6.5 games behind the Rays.

 

 

He only had 26 ABs

[SCM33]

As far as making judgments on hitting, Betts is off to even a worse start than Swi, so it seems premature to DFA as yet. Cora probably been facing a lot of pressure to bring Leon up for the same reason fans on this site have advocated for Leon. It remains to be seen what happens, but the die is cast now and Swi probably is gone for good. Leon is hitting half the avg that Swi had at Pawtucket so some great transition in our pitching staff will be needed to justify this move.

 

I never liked Leon, and on this board, mostly joked about him tongue in cheek. I really thought there was no way this kind of thing would happen.

 

I officially can’t stand Leon now.

 

EDIT, love that Jared Carrabis is bow referring to Leon as the only “active hall of famer” hahahahaha

Edited April 16, 2019 by SCM33

[dgalehouse]

I think Walden was sent to Pawtucket. Does that mean Mejia is coming up ?

[illinoisredsox]

As far as making judgments on hitting, Betts is off to even a worse start than Swi, so it seems premature to DFA as yet. Cora probably been facing a lot of pressure to bring Leon up for the same reason fans on this site have advocated for Leon. It remains to be seen what happens, but the die is cast now and Swi probably is gone for good. Leon is hitting half the avg that Swi had at Pawtucket so some great transition in our pitching staff will be needed to justify this move.

 

The difference is, Betts has a track record of hitting well. Swihart hasn't really hit anywhere, majors or minors, since the ankle injury, and unlike, say, JBJ, there is no gold glove defense to offset offensive woes.

[Jack Flap]

I think Walden was sent to Pawtucket. Does that mean Mejia is coming up ?

 

Apparently it's Erasmo Ramirez:

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2019/04/red-sox-select-contract-of-erasmo-ramirez.html

[SCM33]

Why even have him on team if his leash was that small? I don’t understand

 

This move is so shortsighted. If we don’t see immediate results, this team could tank. This reeeeeks of desperation.

[Slasher9]

I'm a big Leon supporter, but I am surprised they made this move this quickly.

 

im surprised it took so long.

 

#leongate