The news that the Blake Swihart had been designated by assignment by the Boston Red Sox caught many of us by surprise. The decision is a drastic overreaction to a nightmare start to the 2019 season, turning Swihart into an unfortunate scapegoat for the underperforming pitching staff. Maybe we shouldn’t be all that shocked by this. His unexpected release follows a pattern of the Red Sox mishandling Swihart’s entire career.
When Swihart made his major league debut in 2015 he was widely considered to be the best prospect in the Red Sox organization and the best catching prospect in baseball.