When one door closes, another opens.
Blake Swihart was the beneficiary of this old adage when the Boston Red Sox decided to designate Hanley Ramirez for assignment. While Mitch Moreland now is the everyday first baseman for the Red Sox, Ramirez no longer being with the ballclub will pave the way for Swihart to receive more playing time.
In an interview with WEEI’s “Dale & Keefe” on Thursday, manager Alex Cora revealed he wasted no time notifying Swihart of his new role once the decision surrounding Ramirez was made.
“After we made the decision (to release Ramirez), I gave (Swihart) a call,” Cora said, as transcribed by WEEI’s Alex Reimer. “It was, like, 4:00 a.m., which was very odd, but it is what it is. To make a decision like that was tough for everybody, because it was so early in the morning with the flight and everything. But I gave him a call and was like, ‘I know you probably weren’t expecting this call,’ and he was like, ‘Yeah.’ Then I explained the whole thing. He was excited, and I explained to him his role and what’s going to happen. He’s ready to play every day.”
This opportunity is a long time coming for Swihart, who was drafted by the Red Sox with the No. 26 overall pick in the 2011 MLB Draft. Now, we’ll have to wait and see if he makes the most of it.
