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red sox - Why idea of trading Blake Swihart for Cole Hamels, is, was, and will always be laughable - WEEI | John Tomase
WHY IDEA OF TRADING BLAKE SWIHART FOR COLE HAMELS, IS, WAS, AND WILL ALWAYS BE LAUGHABLE
Sun, 03/15/2015 - 11:01pm
3
Blake Swihart is a future star the Red Sox won't risk trading. (Getty Images)
Hope the Phillies enjoyed the firsthand look at Blake Swihart. It's as close as they're ever going to get.
Swihart traveled to Clearwater on Sunday and started the Red Sox' 11-4 loss. He singled twice, drove in a run, and no doubt earned a longing gaze from Phillies fans wondering if he'll be the centerpiece of a Cole Hamels deal.
Keep dreaming, Phanatics. It ain't happening.
One of the most misguided storylines of the offseason was the debate over shipping Swihart to Philadelphia for Hamels. The left-hander is a three-time All-Star and former World Series MVP who'd fill the gaping hole marked "ace" in the Red Sox rotation, but the Red Sox would've been crazy to acquire him for Swihart.
Good catching prospects bubble to the surface every other decade, if you're lucky. The Red Sox have developed exactly two in the last 40 years – Rich Gedman and Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk. If you're feeling generous, Scott Hatteberg makes three, and maybe Christian Vazquez joins him, but either way, it's a tiny club.
So when a player like Swihart comes along, you don't exchange him for the first 30-something starter with a 17-win season on his resume, even one as pedigreed as Hamels. The Red Sox know this. They're hoarding their best youngsters to begin with, which is why Mookie Betts was never going anywhere, and why Jackie Bradley Jr. was allowed to fail in the big leagues.
They're particularly protective of their up-the-middle prospects, because those guys play the most important positions on the field, they're the hardest to find, and their presence allows for financial flexibility elsewhere around the diamond.
Anyone who has paid attention this spring knows Swihart looks like the real deal. After Sunday's 2-for-3 performance, he's now hitting .538 this spring, which in and of itself is relatively meaningless, but at the very least underscores why the Red Sox refused to part with him.
The switch hitter has pop from both sides of the plate (though more from the right), looks comfortable handling the ball and throwing, and has the makings of a potential star. Whether he gets there or not remains to be seen, but in today's game, with youth more valuable than ever, you hold onto him until you know for sure.
And yes, this is the part where we acknowledge all of the can't-miss prospects who did exactly that and were never heard from again. No one is a 100 percent certainty, but the risk of missing on a player like Swihart by giving him away is greater than wishing you had gotten something for him when you had the chance.
Swihart could only smile on Sunday morning as reporters approached his locker. He knew what was coming.
"I think it's funny, just like when you guys came over you started laughing," Swihart said. "I think people are reading into it. It's going to be fun."
Manager John Farrell immediately made it clear that Swihart's presence shouldn't be misconstrued.
"This isn't a showcase," he said.
It's understandable that Red Sox fans want the top of the rotation addressed now Now NOW, and it's OK that many also can't fathom why the Red Sox would let a Triple A player stand in the way of filling that need.
But if you're one of those people, you're just going to have to trust that Swihart is too steep a price to pay. Give the front office the choice of paying Jon Lester $150 million or trading Swihart straight up for the final four years and $100 million of Hamels, and it wouldn't even be a decision. They'd pay Lester and worry about his 30s later.
It's not like Hamels is a sure thing. He's closing in on 2,000 lifetime innings and it's usually downhill from there, especially at age 31. With the way seemingly indomitable pitchers like CC Sabathia andJustin Verlander have struggled recently, Hamels may actually pose a bigger risk than simply waiting for Swihart.
Swihart will open the year at Pawtucket, and it's doubtful he ever sees Providence. His performance this spring has already helped the coaches feel infinitely more comfortable with the idea of summoning him to Boston if Vazquez gets hurt or doesn't hit.
The front office is also comfortable with letting him spend the entire season at Triple A. When the 22-year-old arrives, the expectation is that it will be for good. He has face-of-the-franchise potential and the Red Sox aren't giving that away, even if it takes five years for him to blossom. They're confident he'll be worth the wait.
So here's hoping the Phillies didn't get too attached on Sunday. If they really want to move Hamels, they'll have to ask for someone else, because Swihart's not for sale.
red sox - Why idea of trading Blake Swihart for Cole Hamels, is, was, and will always be laughable - WEEI | John Tomase
WHY IDEA OF TRADING BLAKE SWIHART FOR COLE HAMELS, IS, WAS, AND WILL ALWAYS BE LAUGHABLE
Sun, 03/15/2015 - 11:01pm
3
Hope the Phillies enjoyed the firsthand look at Blake Swihart. It's as close as they're ever going to get.
Swihart traveled to Clearwater on Sunday and started the Red Sox' 11-4 loss. He singled twice, drove in a run, and no doubt earned a longing gaze from Phillies fans wondering if he'll be the centerpiece of a Cole Hamels deal.
Keep dreaming, Phanatics. It ain't happening.
One of the most misguided storylines of the offseason was the debate over shipping Swihart to Philadelphia for Hamels. The left-hander is a three-time All-Star and former World Series MVP who'd fill the gaping hole marked "ace" in the Red Sox rotation, but the Red Sox would've been crazy to acquire him for Swihart.
Good catching prospects bubble to the surface every other decade, if you're lucky. The Red Sox have developed exactly two in the last 40 years – Rich Gedman and Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk. If you're feeling generous, Scott Hatteberg makes three, and maybe Christian Vazquez joins him, but either way, it's a tiny club.
So when a player like Swihart comes along, you don't exchange him for the first 30-something starter with a 17-win season on his resume, even one as pedigreed as Hamels. The Red Sox know this. They're hoarding their best youngsters to begin with, which is why Mookie Betts was never going anywhere, and why Jackie Bradley Jr. was allowed to fail in the big leagues.
They're particularly protective of their up-the-middle prospects, because those guys play the most important positions on the field, they're the hardest to find, and their presence allows for financial flexibility elsewhere around the diamond.
Anyone who has paid attention this spring knows Swihart looks like the real deal. After Sunday's 2-for-3 performance, he's now hitting .538 this spring, which in and of itself is relatively meaningless, but at the very least underscores why the Red Sox refused to part with him.
The switch hitter has pop from both sides of the plate (though more from the right), looks comfortable handling the ball and throwing, and has the makings of a potential star. Whether he gets there or not remains to be seen, but in today's game, with youth more valuable than ever, you hold onto him until you know for sure.
And yes, this is the part where we acknowledge all of the can't-miss prospects who did exactly that and were never heard from again. No one is a 100 percent certainty, but the risk of missing on a player like Swihart by giving him away is greater than wishing you had gotten something for him when you had the chance.
Swihart could only smile on Sunday morning as reporters approached his locker. He knew what was coming.
"I think it's funny, just like when you guys came over you started laughing," Swihart said. "I think people are reading into it. It's going to be fun."
Manager John Farrell immediately made it clear that Swihart's presence shouldn't be misconstrued.
"This isn't a showcase," he said.
It's understandable that Red Sox fans want the top of the rotation addressed now Now NOW, and it's OK that many also can't fathom why the Red Sox would let a Triple A player stand in the way of filling that need.
But if you're one of those people, you're just going to have to trust that Swihart is too steep a price to pay. Give the front office the choice of paying Jon Lester $150 million or trading Swihart straight up for the final four years and $100 million of Hamels, and it wouldn't even be a decision. They'd pay Lester and worry about his 30s later.
It's not like Hamels is a sure thing. He's closing in on 2,000 lifetime innings and it's usually downhill from there, especially at age 31. With the way seemingly indomitable pitchers like CC Sabathia andJustin Verlander have struggled recently, Hamels may actually pose a bigger risk than simply waiting for Swihart.
Swihart will open the year at Pawtucket, and it's doubtful he ever sees Providence. His performance this spring has already helped the coaches feel infinitely more comfortable with the idea of summoning him to Boston if Vazquez gets hurt or doesn't hit.
The front office is also comfortable with letting him spend the entire season at Triple A. When the 22-year-old arrives, the expectation is that it will be for good. He has face-of-the-franchise potential and the Red Sox aren't giving that away, even if it takes five years for him to blossom. They're confident he'll be worth the wait.
So here's hoping the Phillies didn't get too attached on Sunday. If they really want to move Hamels, they'll have to ask for someone else, because Swihart's not for sale.
