The Philadelphia Phillies got a firsthand look at a potential trade target Sunday, but John Farrell insists it wasn’t intentional.
Boston Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart got the start behind the dish for a spring training tilt against Philly in Clearwater, Fla. Swihart, the No. 1 catching prospect in baseball, has been the subject of plenty of trade rumors, a deal involving Phillies ace Cole Hamels chief among them.
Yet Farrell put any conspiracy theories to bed immediately, addressing reporters before they even asked after the game.
“So Blake’s here,” the Red Sox manager said, via MLB.com. “And this is not a showcase.”
Well, that settles that. Farrell went on to explain that it simply was Swihart’s turn to start.
“If you look at what we’ve done with position players the past four or five days, get them a couple of games back to back, and his second game falls today,” Farrell said.
Showcase or not, Swihart put on an impressive performance, going 2-for-3 with an RBI single in Boston’s 11-4 loss. Swihart was asked about the issue after the game and took the same stance as his manager.
“I think people are looking into it too much,” Swihart told reporters, via MLB.com. “It’s just my turn to catch.”
Swihart wasn’t in complete denial and said he’s aware of the trade rumors, even admitting he read a tweet claiming it was “weird” that he got the start against the Phillies.
“I hear it all the time,” Swihart said. “It’s kind of hard not to hear it, but at the end of the day, I play for the Red Sox and I want to play for the Red Sox. I like being here and I like playing here.”
Conspiracy theory debunked. For now, anyways.
Thumbnail photo via Kathy Willens/USA TODAY Sports Images
