Blake Swihart will join the Diamondbacks starting this Monday in Pittsburgh, and according to Torey Lovullo will see most of his initial time on the outfield corners spelling Adam Jones and David Peralta. Based on earlier comments from Mike Hazen, he might also see some time on the infield corners. All jokes aside, he’s not here to be the 4th catcher. He’s here because Mike Hazen believes he will hit, and provide positional flexibility allowing him to get enough at bats to prove it.
The driving force behind the deal, Hazen said, was a belief in Swihart’s offensive upside and the sense that this could be the club’s only chance to land him.