Red Sox Rumors: Blake Swihart a Potential Trade Piece?
The Boston Red Sox have depth at the catcher position, which could increase the trade value of Blake Swihart.
What will the Red Sox do with Blake Swihart? With a surplus of talent at the catcher position and in the outfield, Boston could decide to use the 24-year-old prospect in a trade for pitching.
While this may not be the first time Swihart’s name has been rumored in a potential trade, the possibility is probably higher than ever considering the team’s needs this season. That’s why Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald lists the young catcher among the tradable pieces for the Red Sox.
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With the idea that the Red Sox need pitching to stabilize their bullpen combined with the Chicago White Sox need for a catcher, Mastrodonato notes a potential deal for reliever David Robertson. The veteran pitcher has two years left on a $25 million contract and would be an ideal addition to Boston’s bullpen.
This of course would depend on how Swihart bounces back from an ankle injury that ended his season early in 2016. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski does expect Swihart to compete for the backup role behind starter Sandy Leon in spring training.
It would be expected that whoever loses out on that role, Swihart or Christian Vazquez, could be used as a potential bargaining chip. Swihart would bring the best value based on his upside offensively and his ability to also play in the outfield.
Other teams looking for a catcher include the Atlanta Braves and Dombrowski’s former team, the Detroit Tigers. A player like Alex Wilson comes to mind when thinking about any deal involving the Tigers. He was originally drafted by the Red Sox and last pitched for the team in 2014.
Swihart caught just six games last season before the Red Sox experimented with him in left field. If Jackie Bradley Jr. is traded, it is possible that Boston could once again decide to use Swihart in the outfield as they would have to move Mookie Betts to center field.
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