BOSTON — Blake Swihart’s demotion to Triple-A Pawtucket on Friday got plenty of buzz.
Were the Red Sox making Swihart a scapegoat for the problems in their rotation? Did choosing catcher Christian Vazquez over him mean they were willing to make him available for a trade?
As tends to happen with Boston fans and media, those ideas simply were people jumping to way-too-early conclusions. Red Sox manager John Farrell made it pretty clear before Saturday’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays the Swihart isn’t going anywhere.
“We fully acknowledge there’s some disappointment,” Farrell said. “Anybody that gets sent down is disappointed because things haven’t worked out, at least in the short run. This isn’t a matter of — this isn’t centering around just Blake Swihart. This was Christian’s return.
“They’re two guys that have, while they’ve not necessarily been at the same level coming up through the minor leagues, they’re well aware of the capabilities of one another. And what we outlined to Blake as mentioned (Friday), there’s a clear picture that we can envision both guys coexisting on the same roster and potentially in the same lineup on a given day.”
Farrell said the Red Sox certainly didn’t beat around the bush when it came to discussing the future with Swihart, something the skipper said is extremely important when dealing with demotions.
“I think any player, if they understand where they stand within the organization, how they’re viewed and what the discussion is about the potential end result, all a player wants to know is where do I stand, and they’ll figure out with guidance and help how we get to that end point,” Farrell said. “And Blake is no different in that. He knows that we value him. He’s an important player for us, not only now, but for a lot of years to come. And I think he appreciates that candidness that we spoke with him yesterday.”
Farrell continued his ringing endorsement of the 24-year-old catcher, saying while no one ever wants to talk about demoting a player, they made sure Swihart knew how important he was to the Red Sox.
“I don’t know that it’s ever an easy conversation to have,” Farrell said. “You’re making a move, taking away what someone has put their heart and soul and their work into. And I think as long as you can balance the message with just like what we were talking about, what the future holds and what we envision him being, then I think there’s greater understanding.
“But particularly when you’re talking about a young player that you value a lot, that’s one that you take extra steps to be very clear and outline what the plan going forward is because they’re very important to our future as a team.”
Thumbnail photo via Kim Klement/USA TODAY Sports Images
