Boston Red Sox bat off the bench option

The Boston Red Sox need a productive bat off the bench in crucial situations, but where do you find one?

I will certainly make a bold statement regarding the defensive abilities of Boston Red Sox catcher Christian Vazquez in that he is the best defensive catcher I have seen in a Boston uniform, and that includes Tony Pena. That is made with a unique small sample that amounts to about one full season of baseball service, but it is enough to convince me.

Vazquez made a world of difference when he caught Steven Wright after Ryan Hanigan went on the disabled list. The passed ball situation diminished greatly and that came as no surprise. Vaz has the footwork, instincts, game knowledge and mentality that combine to make him the real deal defensively.

Defensive importance is quite notable in recent Red Sox history, when in the 2013 playoffs Jarrod Saltalamacchia was asked to leave the adults’ table and was replaced by David Ross, who managed “only” a .188 average in four game World Series games. The change was a possible series changer.

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A catcher has to hit and that is where Vazquez simply deteriorates and becomes a liability in certain notable situations. As a Red Sox fan, the defensive component certainly trumps the inability to put up numbers with the stick that would get the attention of opposing pitchers that one must move cautiously. However, I have often compared Vazquez to another catcher that had a career .228 average – Lynn’s own Jim Hegan.

Hegan – a right-hand hitter – caught the great Cleveland Indians staffs of the 1950’s, including the 1954 team that won 111 games. Hegan hit .234 that season with 11 home runs and 40 RBI. In 1949 Hegan was an All-Star and managed a .224 average and in 1950 he was an All-Star again with a .219 average.

In another age the problem would in actuality not exist when rosters usually contained three catchers, with one usually having an impressive performance with the bat and not the glove. Smoky Burgess – a catcher – slashed .285/.377/.435 with 16 home runs and 147 RBI in 589 plate appearances as a pinch-hitter.

Vazquez certainly has some power potential to get the ball occasionally out of the yard and just ask Dellin Betances about that. That, however, is a rare occurrence and the simple fact is Vazquez may never reach the consistent .240 he did his rookie season, but if he doesn’t, then critical situations certainly call for a substitution.