(Photo courtesy of Matt Stone/Boston Herald)
by Dakota Antelman
After 232 games with the Red Sox, third basemen Will Middlebrooks’ days in Boston seemed all but done by the midafternoon hours of Friday December 19th.
Pending a physical, Middlebrooks was traded to the San Diego Padres in exchange for veteran catcher Ryan Hanigan.
Middlebrooks had expressed an understanding that he did not fit within the Red Sox system back in October but for the much of the offseason to this point, it appeared the Red Sox were willing to stand by their once touted prospect.
Middlebrooks of course was the player who played well enough in his rookie season to push previous Red Sox third basemen Kevin Youkilis out of Boston and soon after, the MLB. He hit 15 home runs in his rookie year while also flashing the glove with repeated and pinpoint accuracy and poise. Since that 2012 season though, Middlebrooks has been a different player. Fraught with injuries and mechanical issues, he has spent long stretches of time on the DL and even longer ones trundling away in the minors.
Management stood by him nonetheless, insisting that he could soon return to his 2012 power hitting form. But alas, there came a point following this most recent 2014 season where even his coaches had to draw a line.
Back in November they signed third basemen Pablo Sandoval to a $100M contract. Sandoval’s introduction into the infield mix effectively clogged up the rotation enough so that it was overtly clear how imminent Middlebrooks’ departure was.
Very quickly, the Middlebrooks situation turned from one where the Red Sox were trying to create a position/excuse to keep him around, to one where they were eager to get the highest return out of him on the trade market.
While whether or not the latter of those criteria was met by today’s trade is up for debate, the Sox acted decisively, finally severing ties with Middlebrooks.
Ryan Hanigan, who they got in the trade, comes to Boston as a seven year MLB veteran. He spent the first six years of his career with Cincinnati logging around 70-80 starts per season before being sent over to Tampa for last season.
He played a decent season at the position of backup catcher for the Rays starting 84 games and bringing a .218 average with him to a total of 225 plate appearances. He was in turn traded to the Padres from the Rays last week and obviously, did not play a game with them.
His arrival in Boston, which will occur unless anything unforeseen comes up in Will Middlebrooks’ physical, will give the Red Sox a fourth catcher under contract for next season. That will provide added depth to the already intense competition between Boston catchers for the starting job.
Hanigan will be competing with Christian Vasquez, Blake Swiheart and Dan Butler from day one.
Alas, Will Middlebrooks is a departed sole in terms of the Red Sox roster. The two year experiment the team conducted with him frankly did not work out and they have moved on. A consolation prize for doing so; the Red Sox now have one of the deepest catching lineups in the division and will have immense power of choice as to who will lead the unit come April.
The hot stove keeps on burning this offseason.
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