Ryan Hanigan had a reputation as a catcher who could give you a strong at-bat and it was thought he would be a back-up in Boston when he was acquired for the disappointing would be third baseman of the future, Will Middlebrooks in December of 2014. Injuries and Father Time limited Hanigan’s contribution during his two seasons in a Red Sox uniform.
In Spring Training 2015, Christian Vazquez was the presumed starting catcher for the Red Sox but was sidelined with an elbow problem, requiring Tommy John surgery. The domino effect of this injury led to the acquisition of Sandy Leon from the Washington Nationals.