Red Sox catcher Ryan Hanigan has suffered a displaced fracture to his finger and is destined for surgery, Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe reports on Twitter. He is expected to miss a significant period of time after taking a deflected ball to his hand in tonight’s game.
That’s highly unwelcome news for a Boston team that is already without the other half of its expected backstop tandem in Christian Vazquez for the rest of the season. Sandy Leon was added to the mix just before the start of the season, and the team does have both top prospect Blake Swihart and veteran Humberto Quintero available at Triple-A.
But none of those options are really ideal, for various reasons. Leon has never been viewed with much promise offensively, while Quintero is a 35-year-old career backup. Swihart is, of course, the game’s best-regarded catching prospect. But he is still completing his development and would line up as a Super Two if promoted now.
Speculation will immediately turn to the possibility of an acquisition, and indeed there seems to be good reason to think that could occur. No player is more available than former Boston backstop Jarrod Saltalamacchia, who remains in DFA limbo with a Marlins club that is highly motivated to save some money on his contract. Players like Dioner Navarro of the Blue Jays and Welington Castillo of the Cubs also remain under-utilized with their current clubs.
Welcome to The Show, Blake Swihart.
Swihart time
Since the Red Sox have an abundance of OF’s maybe one of the can play catcher.
Don’t know about that, but I’ll bet when Farrell was mulling his options, Napoli was hiding behind the water cooler.
No salty… no salty… no salty… no salty…
Marlins will give the dude away ,he gotten under Lurie Skin!
Don’t worry Ben, Cash will send Austin Romine your way for the low, low cost of Eduardo Rodriguez. Seems fair, no?
Holt to catch.
Let see what Hall of Famer Swihart can do!
Blake Bench and Mookie Mays on the same team.
Pretty insane!
His hand looked awful and swollen immediately after it happened, I had a hunch it was going to be semi-major. Crazy how it bounced off of Teixeira’s hand first, and he didn’t wind up being hurt at this level. Sad to hear though, never good to see guys get hurt.
Swihart time!?
what other Free agents are available…i did a quick check and saw people like Jose Molina and Ryan Doumit available….am i wrong?
Those guys are available, but Doumit barely played last season, and has always been a bad catcher; I think last season he mostly played first base and left field. Molina maybe just doesn’t want to play anymore; he’s pretty old and has never been able to hit at all. Doumit was a decent hitter as recently as 2013.
Molina had surgery and is out for the year
Oh; thanks! Didn’t know that. I’d guess that at age 40 his career is done.
Blake isn’t ready,
no, but hes the best option for the short term while they figure this out. Quintero is not on the 40man and is a 35yo career back up. Swihart is on the 40man and doesnt require a DFA to another player.
They are looking externally, but count on them looking for a defensively sound catcher…Not a salty type
Check out Quintero’s line at Pawtucket.. .268 Average and a .262 OBP.. Hard to come up with that huh? 0 walks and 13k so far.
yes, along with not being on the 40man hes not that good. I agree. thats why hes been a career BU catcher
Bring back Salty!!!!
you cant be serious…well, in case you are….besides the fact that hes been a defensive liability, his bat has left the building as well.
Thank goodness the Rays traded Ryan Hurtagain. The guy can’t stay off the DL.