Red Sox's Blake Swihart: Will work as catcher in spring

The Red Sox intend to have Swihart work primarily as a catcher in spring training, though he'll continue to take reps at other positions during the offseason, Jason Mastrodonato of the Boston Herald reports.

With Christian Vazquez and Sandy Leon entering the 2018 season as the Red Sox's top two backstops, the Red Sox groomed the switch-hitting Swihart for a utility role in an attempt to maximize his opportunities. With the exception of Dustin Pedroia (knee), Boston generally enjoyed good health from most of its core contributors, resulting in Swihart making only 207 plate appearances. The lack of consistent playing time likely had a negative impact on Swihart's performance at the dish, with the 26-year-old managing a lowly .229/.285/.328 line (64 wRC+). That was still better offensive production than either Vazquez or Leon offered, so Swihart could get the chance to factor into the timeshare behind the plate more frequently if his defense is up to par. That has always been the main concern for Swihart, however, so if he fails to show improvement in that regard in spring, a long-awaited trade elsewhere could finally materialize.