Will Middlebrooks #16 of the Boston Red Sox reacts as he is called out in the second inning after trying to steal second base against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 20, 2014 in Baltimore, Maryland.
When the Boston Red Sox signed Pablo Sandoval to play third base, Will Middlebrooks said himself there was no where for him to play.
A move to the outfield was out of the question with the signing of Hanley Ramirez plus Rusney Castillo, Shane Victorino and a cast of others out there. Playing first base wasn’t an option with Mike Napoli locked in over there.
So Red Sox GM Ben Cherington found him a new home and in the process they got a solid backup catcher from the San Diego Padres in Ryan Hanigan for Middlebrooks.
Hanigan was acquired by the Padres earlier on Friday from the Rays as part of a three-team deal. He will backup Christian Vazquez who emerged at catcher during the dismal 2014 for the local nine.
Full release from the Red Sox:
BOSTON — The Boston Red Sox today acquired catcher Ryan Hanigan from the San Diego Padres in exchange for third baseman Will Middlebrooks.
Executive Vice President/General Manager Ben Cherington made the announcement.
Hanigan, 34, was traded to the Padres from the Tampa Bay Rays earlier today. A veteran of parts of eight major league seasons with the Cincinnati Reds (2007-13) and Rays (2014), the right-handed batter owns a .256 batting average with 57 doubles, a triple, 25 home runs, and 172 RBI in 558 career games. He has a lifetime .353 on-base percentage and has struck out fewer times (198) than he has walked (220).
Hanigan led the major leagues in caught stealing rate (min. 50 games) in back-to-back seasons in 2012 (49%) and 2013 (46%). Among active players with at least 500 games behind the plate, he ranks third in career catcher caught stealing percentage (34%, 96 of 284) behind only Yadier Molina (41%) and David Ross (34%). He also leads that group with both a 3.61 catcher’s ERA and a .996 fielding percentage in his career, committing only two errors in 1,145 chances over the last two seasons (.998).
With Tampa Bay last season, Hanigan appeared in 84 games and hit .218 with nine doubles, five home runs, 31 walks, and 34 RBI. He missed time with two trips to the disabled list due to right hamstring tightness and a left oblique strain, and totaled six games over a pair of rehabilitation stints with High-A Charlotte.
In 66 major league starts last year he caught 11 shutouts (17%). Including regular and postseason, he has been behind the plate for 22 shutouts in his last 141 starts (16%) dating back to Homer Bailey‘s no-hitter on September 28, 2012.
Born in Washington, DC, Hanigan grew up in Andover, MA, where he graduated from Andover High School. He was signed by the Reds as an undrafted free agent in 2002 and has played in seven postseason games, all with Cincinnati in 2010, 2012, and 2013.
Middlebrooks, 26, hit .191 for the Red Sox last season with 10 doubles, two home runs, and 19 RBI, and was limited to 63 games due to two stints on the disabled list. Defensively, he led the club in games played (62) and starts (57) at third base, and his .972 fielding percentage at the position ranked third in the American League (min. 500 innings).
The right-handed batter has played in the big leagues in each of the last three seasons beginning with his debut in 2012, all with Boston. He is a career .237 hitter with 42 doubles, 34 home runs, and 122 RBI over 232 major league games. He was named the 2012 Red Sox Rookie of the Year by the Boston Baseball Writers and played in 10 games during Boston’s postseason run to the 2013 World Series Championship. The native of Texarkana, TX, was originally a fifth-round selection by the Red Sox in the 2007 June Draft.
photo credit: getty images
