When the Indians signed Nick Swisher to a four-year, $56MM deal prior to the 2013 season, they didn’t anticipate his knees giving him serious trouble just one year in. By 2015, the deal looked to be a bad one for the Indians and they were more than motivated to unload the money owed to him. The Tribe found a taker in August, sending Swisher, Michael Bourn’s bad contract, and $15MM to Atlanta for third baseman Chris Johnson. Swisher says he completely understands the Indians’ reasons for dealing him.
“It was a business move and I don’t blame [the Indians] for doing that,” Swisher told MLBTR prior to Friday’s Spring Training game against the Phillies. “I got hurt in the second year of a five-year deal [his deal includes an option] and my production was down. I was hired to do a job and I didn’t get it done, so I don’t blame them. It made a lot of sense as a business move.”
Now more than 18 months removed from double arthroscopic surgery on his knees, Swisher says that he “feels great” and is eager to show what he can do on the field. After first undergoing surgery in 2014, Swisher turned in a weak .208/.278/.331 line and followed that up with an even worse .198/.261/.297 batting line in 30 games in 2015. Now, he believes that he can inch closer to the form he displayed in the previous eight seasons, when he slashed .257/.362/.464 and averaged 26 homers per season.
If Swisher shows in Spring Training that he can hit reasonably well, he might not be in Atlanta for long. In January, it was reported that the Braves would like to trade Swisher and/or Bourn before Opening Day. The talk will heat up if Swisher starts raking in March, but don’t expect the 35-year-old to be scanning the web for the latest mentions of his name.
“There’s too much stuff going on to pay attention to that. I’ve kind of been doing this for a little bit and in the offseason, people write stuff that has no truth to it. I think, for me, I’ve been doing it long enough to know that it’s all B.S. Until something does happen, that’s when you can really believe things,” Swisher said.
Swisher finds himself on a team that is designed to compete in 2017, not 2016. The veteran understands the team’s plan but he is not necessarily crazy about the prospect of spending the year in the cellar.
“It’s different. It’s something I’m not used to. Where I’m at in my life and my career, I want to win and I want to win now. I don’t know how many years I got left,” said Swisher. “I just know that I want to keep going out there and keep enjoying this piece of grass every day that I keep coming out to. I’m just so fortunate in my career and I’ve been able to do a lot of great things. I just want to ride this thing until the wheels fall off and I want to make my mark on this game, somehow.”
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
THIS is the reason why it is so hard to be an Indians fan. We sign players to bad contracts. Swisher and Bourn’s contracts were terrible!!!! They were both on the decline when they were signed but the Indians front office was like “heeey let’s overpay them!” Then we dump them off for Chris Johnson, and said we’ll pay the majority of their contracts and we’ll take on the majority of Chris Johnson’s ridiculous contract. Theeeen, the dump Chris Johnson this offseason, but we still have to pay him, and sign a 38 year old mini Bartolo Colon to play 3B…
And then the front office has the nerve to say they don’t have money to go after big name guys like Cespedes because they wasted all their money on terrible contracts for mediocre players.
I agree 100% with your comments, Bourn was the main reason we kept losing early last season. Tito is a great manager, however he should have benched Bourn ( don’t care what his salary was). If Tito played a combo of Naquin/Holt/Ramsey in CF we would have been a playoff team. Bourn was the cancer on the field (Batting 7th striking out in every key at-bat). Swisher was the cancer in the clubhouse, the cheerleader rah-rah crap irritated our best players Kipnis/Brantley/Kluber. That was why are season was over in July. How ironic after the Aug. 8th trade the team played better & was actually in the playoff picture in September.
it’s tough being an Indians fan. I’d be okay if they would have traded one of our SP like Carasco our Salazar for one of those cubs prospects! we need a big bat
It is good that Swish is still all about Swish he is such a bro, winning teams tend to want good players something you have not been since 2013, instead of looking to mentor a young team you are looking for a ticket out one that is probably not going to come, Please have one good month so you can be gone.
No one is terming this a “scoop.” I interviewed him and this is the article.
Well said, trolls every where.
True, but it is kind of a funky headline. Makes it appear that this just dawned Swisher. Tough interview…some guys have a lucid way of absolutely saying zero.
Adios BROhio
If he shows he’s healthy, the O’s might be interested in making him their RF. His OBP ability would be greatly appreciated. I’m not crazy about his OF defense and he can’t really hit leadoff, but no one else on the O’s can either at this point and he’d add a LH bat to a RH heavy lineup. I’m not a big fan of his personality and how he always looks so incredulous that someone actually got him out, but I’m willing to overlook that for a .365 OBP.
If you can get .365 OBP out of him now, I’d like to know how! Last time he was even close to that was in 2012. Now all he can do is battle injuries and be a cheerleader.
Well when you write for the site, I am sure your pieces will be so much better. I will sit here in anticipation.
I have seen in my very brief time on this site that if you disagree with an article, or the comments below the article, you are called a troll. The sabermetrics crowd gets especially touchy if you dare to look down on their bunk. I find it amusing.
There are plenty of posters that disagree with articles that aren’t trolls. This guy isba troll because in his disagreement, he really had no content. He might as well tapped into his inner 4 year old toddler self and said “nu uh.”
Absolutely. It’s technique. I’ve been around this site for maybe 8 years. I’ve often had struggles in the past with the writers inserting themselves in stories…I chalked it up to non-peofessional sports writers trying to make a go with a valuable resource. To me…you’re on the team or not. If you like it…it costs nothing…so view it as your own. There’s a way a person can address things without even assuming they are correct. Sometimes I’ve been flat wrong and a writer has further explained. I’ve learned..that’s the goal. A few times I’ve given input and the staff has learned. It’s all a matter of viewpoint.
I’ve been a sportswriter. Having an article deadline and a player interview that is less than fascinating isn’t any fun. They say nothing of any consequence…and you’re left with a flat article. Nick Swisher is like that. He’ll talk to a wall…but he’ll say absolutely nothing of honest value.
a few years ago sox picked up swisher because he could get on base and his personality wiuld wake up the dead clubhouse, ozzie was the only one who had any fire. swisher didnt get on base and when he was benched later in the season he sulked and became annoying.
If I remember his phony rah-rah stuff grated on Thome and Konerko. Swisher was a decidedly non-sox player.
I enjoyed the article. It gives you an insight into what kind of person Swisher is. What did you need it to say so you could feel the article had value?
I enjoyed the article too. Love to see the site get actual original content…but I’ll say that Swisher blew him off. “I understand a business decision” is code for “I’m moving along”. For as frenetic and bro-ish as Swisher is he absolutely nails not speaking candidly. He’s mastered the art of colorfully not saying anything. Just cliches. That’s not Link’s fault.