Catching up with old friends series recounts the Boston Red Sox career of catcher Ryan Hanigan and where he is playing in 2017.
Ryan Hanigan had a reputation as a catcher who could give you a strong at-bat and it was thought he would be a back-up in Boston when he was acquired for the disappointing would be third baseman of the future, Will Middlebrooks in December of 2014. Injuries and Father Time limited Hanigan’s contribution during his two seasons in a Red Sox uniform.
In Spring Training 2015, Christian Vazquez was the presumed starting catcher for the Red Sox but was sidelined with an elbow problem, requiring Tommy John surgery. The domino effect of this injury led to the acquisition of Sandy Leon from the Washington Nationals.
Hanigan was snakebit at the end of May when he broke a knuckle on his right hand on a foul tip causing him to miss two months of the season. The Red Sox had to rush Blake Swihart to the majors, who likely would have benefitted more in the long run from another season in the minors.
The season was along the lines of what they likely expected of Hanigan, a .664 OPS in 201 plate appearances. Since they expected him to be Vazquez’ back up the workload was likely along the lines of what they expected.
2016 was one of the hardest seasons of Hanigan’s career. Neck and ankle injuries limited the Andover, Massachusetts high school graduate to 113 plate appearances. Hanigan’s offensive output suffered as well, as he managed just a .468 OPS in that time. The $7.25 million contract Hanigan signed before the 2015 season had an option attached to it, which the Red Sox declined. The success of Leon and the emergence of Swihart made Hanigan expendable.
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This offseason, Hanigan had to take a huge paycut in order to stay in the majors agreeing to a $1.25 million minor league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies with $375 thousand in performance bonuses. Both of these numbers are contingent on Hanigan making the major league roster. This season Hanigan will once again serve as a back up and insurance for an emerging catching prospect.
Overall, Hanigan was limited to 89 games while in a Red Sox uniform. Prior to coming to Boston, Hanigan was one of the few major leaguers with more career walks than strikeouts to his credit, but while in Boston he drew just 27 walks while fanning 66 times. While not entirely his fault due to injuries, the now 36-year old Hanigan had a disappointing tenure in Boston. Perhaps years of catching along with age have eroded his offensive skills.
If he makes the Phillies roster, at least he knows someone who you might see in this column in the near future, Clay Buchholz.
Next: Red Sox Round Table: 2017 Over/Under Predictions
Stay tuned to BoSoxInjection for all your Red Sox Spring Training news and notes and the next week’s entry in this series, Catching up with old friends.