Ben Cherington will keep tabs on Will Middlebrooks from afar.
The Boston Red Sox traded Middlebrooks to the San Diego Padres over the weekend in exchange for catcher Ryan Hanigan. The deal comes on the heels of back-to-back disappointing seasons for Middlebrooks, though Boston’s willingness to trade the 26-year-old stemmed more from a desire to obtain Hanigan than a desire to cut ties with a once-promising prospect, according to the Red Sox GM.
“Several teams called off and on in the offseason, but nothing ever was presented that compelled us up until now,” Cherington said during a conference call Saturday of trading Middlebrooks. “Part of that is we still believe in him. The last few years haven’t gone well, but the talent is still in there. My guess is he’ll find a way to flourish in the big leagues. I’ll be rooting for him.
“It just so happened in this case that because of what we’re looking for in the catching position and we feel like Ryan checks all the boxes we’re looking for. To find that guy on this particular team, given how important we think this role is on this particular team, we were willing to pay a cost to do that. That came in the form of Will.”
Middlebrooks exploded onto the scene in 2012, hitting .288 with 15 homers, 54 RBIs and a .835 OPS in 75 games before his season ended prematurely because of a broken wrist. The belief was that Middlebrooks would evolve into a franchise cornerstone — the Red Sox traded third baseman Kevin Youkilis amid Middlebrooks’ early success — but the last two years have been tumultuous, to say the least.
Middlebrooks has been limited to 157 regular-season major league games over the last two seasons, hitting .213 with 19 homers, 68 RBIs, a .629 OPS and 168 strikeouts in 608 plate appearances during that stretch. Injuries certainly have played a role in Middlebrooks’ regression, but there also are obvious weaknesses in his game.
The Red Sox, aware they couldn’t comfortably enter this season with Middlebrooks as their starting third baseman, signed Pablo Sandoval to a five-year contract worth nearly $100 million. They also signed Hanley Ramirez, who is expected to play left field but can man third base, leaving Middlebrooks without a big league role.
“Obviously we’re not trading Will at a particularly high point right now, we understand that,” Cherington said. “But hopefully this is an opportunity for him, and we think it’s an opportunity for us, too.”
A change of scenery often can do wonders for a player’s career. And while Middlebrooks has some flaws he needs to address, his potential still is intriguing, especially at a time when power is at a premium.
Middlebrooks never panned out in Boston. Perhaps a 3,000-mile journey can change things.
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
