Blake wants to rake

Dewey'sCannon

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If Blake is healthy and hitting, it's also not hard to imagine Leon getting moved, perhaps back to the Nats, who are still a bit weak at C.
 

Puffy

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If Blake is healthy and hitting, it's also not hard to imagine Leon getting moved, perhaps back to the Nats, who are still a bit weak at C.
Beyond Vazquez and Swihart, though, the Red Sox are pretty weak on the catcher depth chart themselves. If they trade Leon, they would be extremely vulnerable depth-wise, particularly if Vazquez (who peaked last year at 99 games played) goes down. They'd be hard pressed to rely on either Vazquez or Swihart at C and I don't see the minor league depth ready to back them up (unless I'm missing somebody).

Ideally, they could flip Leon and then acquire an adequate catcher with options that can ride the shuttle, but provide sufficient coverage at the MLB level if necessary.
 

JBJ_HOF

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On today's Fangraphs podcast Speier was talking about how Cora has made it clear Vazquez and Leon are the catchers.... but he still wonders if in the end Swihart becomes the new age backup catcher that is also used in a utility role when not starting.
 

nvalvo

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Beyond Vazquez and Swihart, though, the Red Sox are pretty weak on the catcher depth chart themselves. If they trade Leon, they would be extremely vulnerable depth-wise, particularly if Vazquez (who peaked last year at 99 games played) goes down. They'd be hard pressed to rely on either Vazquez or Swihart at C and I don't see the minor league depth ready to back them up (unless I'm missing somebody).

Ideally, they could flip Leon and then acquire an adequate catcher with options that can ride the shuttle, but provide sufficient coverage at the MLB level if necessary.
I was just going to post this exact sentiment. You never know when a catcher's going to break a finger or whatever. We really don't want to see Dan Butler or Austin Rei on the 25-man roster.
 

Jerry’s Curl

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I’d like to keep both Leon and Swihart and use Blake as super-utility player. Good chance Christian and/or Sandy will have a DL stint at some point.
 

chrisfont9

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Admittedly, I've been a Blake fanboy since he was drafted. And while the dream of Posey-lite is dead, the prospect of his being a very athletic super utility guy, who can also catch is intriguing. He could still have a very nice career, and could be a real asset to the team.
Posey broke out at age 25. Swihart is 25. Never say never? OK, he'll be 26 on opening day. And Posey was an MVP after his age-25 season. But I wouldn't say the ship has sailed on Blake being whatever his ceiling says he can be.
 

Drek717

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Leon doesn't have any minor league options either, right? Isn't that why we got him for virtually nothing in the first place?
If I recall they got Leon because Washington didn't even want to keep him on their 40 man, I think he still had an option or two when acquired.

That said, I think the Pedroia "fill in" is kind of the ideal stash opportunity here. Nunez is the starting 2B in the interim, leaving a four man bench to fit:
Moreland/Hanley (whoever isn't the starting 1B)
Leon
Marrero
Swihart

I say this because:
1. Brock Holt is due about 2.2M this year. They can avoid almost all of that if he doesn't make the opening 25 man roster. Given where they're at budget-wise after signing JDM that $2.2M is more like $3M of Henry's money and it would take away from some much needed in-season financial flexibility, so unless Holt looks like BROCK HOLT of a few years ago all through ST I think he's cut.
2. Above plus the trade of Brentz means Swihart is actually probably the best #4 OF option in the system right now, other than Castillo who has his own contractual obligation to keep him off the 40 man. When Swihart was playing regularly in LF he was also out-hitting Brock Holt's career line, for what that's worth.
3. Keeping Swihart lets them retain all of the viable ML catchers in the organization at this time. By all I mean "all three" so the club isn't playing from a position of strength here.
4. Having three starting OFs who can all cover basically all three OF positions lets them go with a less proven defensive #4. In reality the club can likely make some time for JDM in LF at Fenway exclusively as a home field only #4 OF that gets more ABs for Hanley and Moreland, then Swihart is the #4 on the road.
5. Unlike C middle infielder has viable depth as both Marco and Lin can be sent to AAA. Both are pretty comparable to Marrero, but Marrero is out of options so he's the guy you keep for now.

Then they make a decision on Vaz/Leon/Swihart around when Pedroia is back, assuming another injury hasn't made the decision for you, which it probably has.
 

keninten

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If I recall they got Leon because Washington didn't even want to keep him on their 40 man, I think he still had an option or two when acquired.

That said, I think the Pedroia "fill in" is kind of the ideal stash opportunity here. Nunez is the starting 2B in the interim, leaving a four man bench to fit:
Moreland/Hanley (whoever isn't the starting 1B)
Leon
Marrero
Swihart

I say this because:
1. Brock Holt is due about 2.2M this year. They can avoid almost all of that if he doesn't make the opening 25 man roster. Given where they're at budget-wise after signing JDM that $2.2M is more like $3M of Henry's money and it would take away from some much needed in-season financial flexibility, so unless Holt looks like BROCK HOLT of a few years ago all through ST I think he's cut.
2. Above plus the trade of Brentz means Swihart is actually probably the best #4 OF option in the system right now, other than Castillo who has his own contractual obligation to keep him off the 40 man. When Swihart was playing regularly in LF he was also out-hitting Brock Holt's career line, for what that's worth.
3. Keeping Swihart lets them retain all of the viable ML catchers in the organization at this time. By all I mean "all three" so the club isn't playing from a position of strength here.
4. Having three starting OFs who can all cover basically all three OF positions lets them go with a less proven defensive #4. In reality the club can likely make some time for JDM in LF at Fenway exclusively as a home field only #4 OF that gets more ABs for Hanley and Moreland, then Swihart is the #4 on the road.
5. Unlike C middle infielder has viable depth as both Marco and Lin can be sent to AAA. Both are pretty comparable to Marrero, but Marrero is out of options so he's the guy you keep for now.

Then they make a decision on Vaz/Leon/Swihart around when Pedroia is back, assuming another injury hasn't made the decision for you, which it probably has.
JDM will also get sometime in NL parks
 

tonyarmasjr

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JDM will also get sometime in NL parks
It'll be interesting to see how they shift them around. Not sure who spells Mookie. JDM has been primarily in RF the last few years, but do we want to see him there at Fenway? Or do we want either JDM or Blake trying to learn/play both corners? I doubt they move both Beni and JBJ over to give Mookie a rest.
 

Savin Hillbilly

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The wrong side of the bridge....
It'll be interesting to see how they shift them around. Not sure who spells Mookie. JDM has been primarily in RF the last few years, but do we want to see him there at Fenway? Or do we want either JDM or Blake trying to learn/play both corners? I doubt they move both Beni and JBJ over to give Mookie a rest.
No reason why JDM should ever play RF at Fenway. They'll probably want to give Mookie his off days in road parks, and if he does need to miss Fenway games due to injury or whatever, they can slide the other two guys over or even put Swihart out there, who should have better range and a better arm.

I'm assuming most if not all of JDM's OF starts will come at the expense of either Benintendi or Bradley, whether because they're facing a LHP or because they're in an NL park.
 

Wayapman

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For some reason Swihart always makes me think of Brandon Inge. He's an athletic catcher who should be able to play a few different positions around the diamond. I don't think he will be as capable on the left side of the infield as Inge was but he should also have a little bit higher BA. Inge was able to amass 2+ WAR in 6 out of 7 seasons from age 27 to 33. I think if Swihart can have a similar run he becomes valuable.

The main issue is we probably need to carry a Marrero type to cover the left side of the infield as having only Nunez and Swihart as defensive backups for X and Devers (all while Nunez is manning 2b on the regular) is a scary thought
 

Jerry’s Curl

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It'll be interesting to see how they shift them around. Not sure who spells Mookie. JDM has been primarily in RF the last few years, but do we want to see him there at Fenway? Or do we want either JDM or Blake trying to learn/play both corners? I doubt they move both Beni and JBJ over to give Mookie a rest.
The good news is we have three OF that could play CF or RF in a pinch so you stick JDM in left. He’s not a great defender but he’s no Johnny Gomes either.
 

Jerry’s Curl

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For some reason Swihart always makes me think of Brandon Inge. He's an athletic catcher who should be able to play a few different positions around the diamond. I don't think he will be as capable on the left side of the infield as Inge was but he should also have a little bit higher BA. Inge was able to amass 2+ WAR in 6 out of 7 seasons from age 27 to 33. I think if Swihart can have a similar run he becomes valuable.

The main issue is we probably need to carry a Marrero type to cover the left side of the infield as having only Nunez and Swihart as defensive backups for X and Devers (all while Nunez is manning 2b on the regular) is a scary thought
I’d rather see Swihart learn to play 1B if he’s not getting regular time at C. He can absolutely be a positive WAR offensive player. He should only be a “break glass for emergency” player and 3B or 2B. Unfortunately, because of the current state of the roster, he might not get that chance this year but he’s going to give DD and Cora a second thought about being on the 25-man if he keeps raking this spring.
 
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Red(s)HawksFan

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For what it's worth, Benintendi has yet to play an inning in RF as a professional. That doesn't mean he couldn't if necessary but he hasn't been asked yet. It also means that Martinez has spent more time in RF at Fenway than Benintendi has (while never playing LF there). I imagine for simplicity's sake, if Mookie gets a day off, it will be Martinez in RF in his place.

I’d rather see Swihart learn to play 1B if he’s not getting regular time at C. He can absolutely be a positive WAR offensive player. He should only be a “break glass for emergency” player and 3B or 2B.
Problem with that is they have two 1B on the roster already, so there are really no innings to be had playing there. Meanwhile there can be innings had backing up Devers at 3B and/or Nunez at 2B (in addition to the outfield).
 

grimshaw

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I’d rather see Swihart learn to play 1B if he’s not getting regular time at C. He can absolutely be a positive WAR offensive player. He should only be a “break glass for emergency” player and 3B or 2B.
I just can't see him getting any meaningful playing time at 1st though. Even with an injury to either Moreland or Hanley, the other guy is getting most of the starts and Travis is probably still ahead of him in that case.

His job is going to depend on his versatility and being above replacement level at the plate.
 

Jerry’s Curl

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I just can't see him getting any meaningful playing time at 1st though. Even with an injury to either Moreland or Hanley, the other guy is getting most of the starts and Travis is probably still ahead of him in that case.

His job is going to depend on his versatility and being above replacement level at the plate.
Obviously, having two 1B makes that hard. I’m looking at his long-term outlook for getting regular playing time in the bigs. Personally, I’m not high on Sam Travis as a future option at 1B.

For this year, Blake might have to wait to be recalled in the summer. He might be better off getting the regular catching time in AAA for now. With Nuñez playing 2B you have to have a good defender as a backup IF. Even then, he probably won’t see regular AB since Cora has already said he’s set at catcher.
 
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Pozo the Clown

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For this year, Blake might have to wait to be recalled in the summer. He might be better off getting the regular catching time in AAA for now. With Nuñez playing 2B you have to have a good defender as a backup IF. Even then, he probably won’t see regular AB since Cora has already said he’s set at catcher.
Blake is out of options. There's no way he'd make it through waivers.
 

Buzzkill Pauley

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For what it's worth, Benintendi has yet to play an inning in RF as a professional. That doesn't mean he couldn't if necessary but he hasn't been asked yet. It also means that Martinez has spent more time in RF at Fenway than Benintendi has (while never playing LF there). I imagine for simplicity's sake, if Mookie gets a day off, it will be Martinez in RF in his place.
If they’re that worried about Benintendi in RF, I would have to think the Sox would just shift JBJ over, rather than go with such a poor defender as JDM.

Bradley played brilliant RF at Fenway in 2015.

[edit] The best choice, of course, may be to have Swihart learn both corner outfield positions defensively. He certainly has a good enough arm and legs to cover either spot, regardless whether the game’s at Fenway or in Yankee Stadium.
 
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Savin Hillbilly

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The wrong side of the bridge....
The main issue is we probably need to carry a Marrero type to cover the left side of the infield as having only Nunez and Swihart as defensive backups for X and Devers (all while Nunez is manning 2b on the regular) is a scary thought
Right. Assuming Moreland and Leon are occupying two bench slots, the other two need to be guys who can cover 2B, SS, 3B, and the corner OF spots. Swihart probably has the athletic chops to do all of that except SS. But he has no experience at 2B or 3B, so we need to complement him with a UIF type--and since Lin has options, Marco is hurt, and Holt costs too much, Marrero is the logical candidate.

Obviously, having two 1B makes that hard. I’m looking at his long-term outlook for getting regular playing time in the bigs.
I don't really get this. While it's encouraging to see his bat waking up in Florida, he hasn't really shown much sign of having the kind of offensive upside that will play at 1B long-term. On the other hand, he has the athletic versatility (decent speed, good arm) that would make for a fine C-plus-corners supersub a la Inge, Surhoff etc. But to fit into that role he needs reps at positions he hasn't played yet, i.e. 3B, RF, and maybe even 2B. 1B should be the least of his (and the Sox') worries.
 

Red(s)HawksFan

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Swihart's professional experience, at all levels and in descending order of appearances, has been C, LF, and 1B.

Presumably, they're taking the crawl before you walk, walk before you run approach with him this spring, if only to let him get his feet under him at the plate (which has been working). He's caught a few games, now he's playing 1B. Outfield is probably next and then he'll get a chance to try something new (to his professional portfolio) at 3B or 2B.

While he's 8-10 years removed from it, Swihart was a SS in high school. He's probably never going to be a regular starting-caliber SS, but I don't think he should be written off from playing there or at any position as a back-up before he's given a chance to do so.
 

Wayapman

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I don't really get this. While it's encouraging to see his bat waking up in Florida, he hasn't really shown much sign of having the kind of offensive upside that will play at 1B long-term. On the other hand, he has the athletic versatility (decent speed, good arm) that would make for a fine C-plus-corners supersub a la Inge, Surhoff etc. But to fit into that role he needs reps at positions he hasn't played yet, i.e. 3B, RF, and maybe even 2B. 1B should be the least of his (and the Sox') worries.
I agree with this. Not only do I agree that his offense doesn't play long term at 1b, but its a position the Sox have pretty well covered. If Swihart can't get reps at 2b, ss or 3b to prove he's at least adequate there, then I don't think he gets many ABs with the Sox save for a few games at C
 

joe dokes

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Swihart's professional experience, at all levels and in descending order of appearances, has been C, LF, and 1B.

Presumably, they're taking the crawl before you walk, walk before you run approach with him this spring, if only to let him get his feet under him at the plate (which has been working). He's caught a few games, now he's playing 1B. Outfield is probably next and then he'll get a chance to try something new (to his professional portfolio) at 3B or 2B.

While he's 8-10 years removed from it, Swihart was a SS in high school. He's probably never going to be a regular starting-caliber SS, but I don't think he should be written off from playing there or at any position as a back-up before he's given a chance to do so.
And there's plenty of time for all of that.
 

Mugsy's Jock

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Blake Takez: so far this spring, Blake is slashing along at .556 / .636 / 1.223.

At this rate, his season slash would be .556 / .636 / 1.223.
Well, Blake's spring slash has slipped to .321 / .577 / .898. Which can only mean one thing: he's about to go on a hell of a roll to pop that OPS back up to 1.223.
 

Niastri

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Swihart's professional experience, at all levels and in descending order of appearances, has been C, LF, and 1B.

Presumably, they're taking the crawl before you walk, walk before you run approach with him this spring, if only to let him get his feet under him at the plate (which has been working). He's caught a few games, now he's playing 1B. Outfield is probably next and then he'll get a chance to try something new (to his professional portfolio) at 3B or 2B.

While he's 8-10 years removed from it, Swihart was a SS in high school. He's probably never going to be a regular starting-caliber SS, but I don't think he should be written off from playing there or at any position as a back-up before he's given a chance to do so.
The Italics are mine for emphasis.

And I would like to point out that the Yankees won with Jeter at SS.

Having a bad defensive shortstop for a game or two won't kill the team.

If they need a replacement for more than a game or two (or even an inning or two), somebody goes on the DL.

Swihart is unlikely to ever play an Inning at Short, but stranger things have happened in a long season.
 

uncannymanny

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And I would like to point out that the Yankees won with Jeter at SS.
Sure, Jeter wasn’t a “great” ML defensive shortstop. Do we have any evidence that Blake is? If not then this comparison is meaningless. You could say the same about me if all that matters is disparaging Derek Jeter.
 

Savin Hillbilly

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The wrong side of the bridge....
And I would like to point out that the Yankees won with Jeter at SS.

Having a bad defensive shortstop for a game or two won't kill the team.
Using Jeter as any kind of comp for a possible Swihart role as SS depth is pretty silly. Jeter was a bad defensive SS compared to his peers -- other full-time ML shortstops who, like him, had spent thousands of innings in the minor leagues building up skills and experience at the position. If there was any reason to expect that Swihart could make himself that bad, i.e., that good, by picking up some SS reps in spring training, he'd be a defensive savant. Maybe his general athletic talent and his HS experience make it reasonable to hope that he could be a non-disastrous SS sub on a very short-term, emergency basis, but I don't think it's realistic to imagine that he could ever obviate the need for a legit backup SS on the roster.