Red Sox’s Mookie Betts ‘Kind Of Happy’ For Blake Swihart After DFA

Things keep getting uglier and uglier for the Boston Red Sox in what can only be described as a hellish start to the 2019 season.

The Sox fell 8-0 to the New York Yankees to fall to 6-12, the worst start by a World Series champ since the 1998 Florida Marlins. But before the brutal loss on Tuesday night’s in the Bronx, the Sox made some roster changes, designating catcher Blake Swihart for assignment and recalling Sandy Leon.

Swihart’s DFA likely means the 27-year-old’s time in Boston is done. And while it’s been a rocky tenure, with Swihart making just 626 plate appearances over five Major-League seasons, he still has been a part of the Red Sox clubhouse for nearly half a decade.

And while Swihart transitioned from a top prospect to little more than a backup, he still built relationships with his Boston teammates — one of them being Mookie Betts, who had mixed feelings about the move.

Transactions obviously are a natural part of the game, and perhaps the Red Sox making such moves just 17 games into the season will serve as a wake-up call to the snoozing Sox.

As for Swihart, he’ll likely be claimed off waivers or traded in the coming week. Odds are a change of scenery will serve him well, as Betts noted.