Red Sox: 2019 will finally be Blake Swihart’s time to shine

Eight years after being drafted by the Red Sox, Blake Swihart will finally get an opportunity to truly prove himself to the team in 2019.

It’s been a long time coming for Blake Swihart. The 26-year-old was drafted in the first round way back in 2011 by the Boston Red Sox and has been trying to find his fit on the big league roster ever since. It appears that now he will finally be given the chance to shine at the major league level.

Originally a shortstop out of high school, the Red Sox transitioned him to catcher almost immediately due to his athleticism and strong throwing arm. Swihart worked his way through the minors, quickly becoming one of the top prospects in Boston’s farm system. After debuting in 2015 with impressive results, it seemed likely Swihart would be the catcher of the future.

That is, until Sandy Leon and Christian Vazquez arrived. Ever since the defensive tandem began splitting time in Boston, Swihart became the odd man out. Their defense was far superior to his, as was their ability to call games. While neither one could boast a big bat, Swihart’s offensive production wasn’t enough to compel the Sox to move him up the depth chart.

Yet it’s obvious that Dave Dombrowski still never lost hope that Swihart could be a special player. Given his propensity for dealing away prospects for more established stars, it’s telling that he never parted ways with Swihart. Even in 2016 when the Phillies were dangling All-Star Cole Hamels in exchange, Dombrowski never took the bait. He was determined to see if Swihart could live up to the lofty expectations placed on him by the previous regime.

Things became more complicated last year when Swihart ran out of minor league options. The Sox were then forced to keep him on the major league roster, where he warmed the bench for the majority of the season. The team tried to groom him into a Brock Holt-esque utility player to maximize his at-bats, but the roster was so filled with talent that there wasn’t any real need for Swihart on this team.

Inconsistent playing time led to a decrease in offensive statistics, which in turn resulted in even less playing time. Swihart’s agent was fed up with his client being stuck in baseball purgatory and thus requested a trade in mid-May. Dombrowski again refused to deal away the talented puzzle piece and insisted that there was a place for him in Boston.

It may have taken a while, but it appears that Dombrowski has made good on his promise. After placing Leon on waivers earlier this week, the Red Sox have now made a clear commitment to Swihart as their backup catcher.

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The team was willing to voluntarily give up Leon’s stellar defense and rapport with the pitching staff in order to give Swihart a chance to prove himself.  Despite all of the trade buzz surrounding the youngster, the Red Sox decided to stick with him and instead let Leon walk.

This is the opportunity the 26-year-old has been awaiting for almost eight years. His insertion into the already stacked lineup should easily improve upon Leon’s measly .177 batting average from last year. That being said, Alex Cora will certainly expect a batting average well above the meager .229 Swihart hit last year now that his playing time will become more regular.

While spring training stats should always be taken with a grain of salt, it’s difficult not to be impressed by Swihart’s numbers thus far: 12 for 29 (.414) with a .951 OPS. Those are numbers that Leon and even Vazquez could only dream of. Though Vazquez is the starting catcher and under contract for a few more years, it isn’t unreasonable to imagine Swihart potentially taking the reigns from him later in the season if Vazquez’s bat continues to stall (.207 BA last year, .132 BA in spring training).

That being said, Vazquez isn’t likely to concede the starting job without a fight. Leon, who was reassigned to Triple-A Pawtucket a couple of days ago, will also be eager to get back to the big leagues. Too many miscues in the field combined with a lackluster production at the plate could cause the team and fanbase to get impatient with Swihart. He’s going to need to produce regularly if he wants to stay with the reigning World Series champs.

It’s definitely a lot of pressure, but that’s exactly what Swihart wants. He is well aware of the situation he’s being thrust into. It’s one he’s waited for his whole life.