The Red Sox have claimed catcher Bryan Holaday off outright waivers from the Rangers, reports Evan Drellich of the Boston Herald (Twitter link). Texas designated Holaday for assignment on Monday in the wake of its acquisition of Jonathan Lucroy and Jeremy Jeffress from the Brewers.
Holaday, 28, was acquired by Texas from the Tigers late in Spring Training and saw significant action early in the season following an injury to backstop Robinson Chirinos. Holaday was quite productive in the month of May but hasn’t hit much outside of that stretch and has a collective .238/.290/.405 slash in 94 plate appearances with Texas this season. Prior to the 2016 campaign, he’d spent his entire career in the Tigers organization, shuffling back and forth between the Majors and minors while serving as a backup to Alex Avila. The presence of James McCann and Detroit’s offseason pickup of Jarrod Saltalamacchia left Holaday without a spot on the big league roster, however, and he’s out of minor league options, which left Detroit with no way to carry him in the Majors.
That he’s out of options means he’ll have to go directly onto the 25-man roster for Boston as well, as Holaday cannot be sent to the minors without first clearing waivers. He’s a career .248/.285/.356 hitter with five homers in 376 plate appearances. Holaday has thrown out 30.2 of attempted base thieves over the past three seasons, though he rates as a well below-average framing catcher, per Baseball Prospectus.
Goodbye Hanigan?
No he’s just a pick up for the minors
“That he’s out of options means he’ll have to go directly onto the 25-man roster for Boston as well, as Holaday cannot be sent to the minors without first clearing waivers. “
They will try to slide him through waivers and hope nobody else claims him, he’s not going on the big league roster. If he gets claimed its like the whole thing never happened
Did you even read this article? Because it clearly states he’s out of options and needs to be placed on the 25 man roster.
Doubt it. Hanigan is Steven wrights personal catcher
I thought Christian Vazquez was Steven Wright’s catcher. Ryan Hanigan had 3-5 passed balls one night and Vazquez had to step in.
Hanigan is the closest thing to a sure out. He super sucks at the plate.
Bye bye Hanigan was nice knowing ya!!
Most likely since Hanigan has struggled badly since being activated.
Though can’t blame it solely on his lack of offense he has struggled catching Wrights knuckleball as well
Who hasnt? Its the hardest pitch to catch because just like the batter, you dont know where its going to be when it crosses the plate.
is Holaday even an upgrade over Hanigan though?
He should be.
In 5 years in the majors he batted Well over. 250 in 3 of those 5 year. Even hit .281 in one of those. So the potential is there.
Hanigan is the closest thing to a sure out. I’ve never like him at all. I rather see Vazquez to be honest with you.
Has to be
I could had sworn just a few days ago some people were posting about the strength of the Red Sox catching corps. Maybe the reality of it Boston wasn’t as satisfied with their catchers as they led some to believe.
That depends on what context you’re talking. Right now, the Sox have nothing shaken out well for catching in-season.
If you’re talking in context of Lucroy talks, long-term the Sox have Swihart and Vazquez. Neither is apt to be Lucroy, but both have upside in their respective ways. Neither is helping the Sox right now, though.
There is nothing wrong with the catching, which makes this even more baffling.. Vazquez can use the glove and arm with the best.. It alone makes him worthy of starting. Have noticed he’s not in the lineup at Pawtucket more than 2-3 days, then misses a day or 2. Think he’s not fully over TJ quite yet and cutting his service time, not just working on the bat.
Hannigan is just awful at the age of 35, admitted. leon has a glove and arm close to Vazquez, that’s a fact, but he’s going to stop hitting any day now and he cannot play everyday, they have nobody else who can catch in the entire system worth a flip right now and need someone. This is the answer short term while C-Vaz works on the bat and continues to heal.
Yeah, don’t forget that Christian Vasquez is Yadier Molina lol
This was smart….he caught Porcello in Detroit and he is a solid catcher…….a little weak batting but good defender….and cheaper than Hanigan.
Cheaper than Hanigan is irrelevant unless they can find a taker for him. Because otherwise they are going to be paying both of them. And Holaday is not cheaper than Hanigan AND Holaday.
I like the way you think
good move
Yeah I gotta think it’s got to be Hanigan… But like Martinez, better bring your A game to the party pal…
The spark the Sox need to make others see red
Makes sense. Hanigan can’t even hit a watermelon if it was coming right down the middle
Hope and pray nothing happens to Lucroy or Chirinos the rest of the way or The Rangers are screwed at catcher.
Incorrect. AAA catcher Brett Nicholas looked good earlier this season when needed. He’s more talented than Wilson or Holaday.
You were supposed to say “False”, like Dwight Schrute. lol
Brett Nicholas is hitting .300 with 11 homers at Round Rock. He’s a much better offensive catcher than Holaday or Wilson. With that said Wilson and Holaday are really good guys and I wish them both nothing but the best.
Yeah all that sounds very good.. But doesn’t mean he will hit even close to that in the majors. The majors is a whole different animal. Lots of players tear triple A pitcher up. Then come to the majors and not even hit .200
We will have to wait and see.
Well, Bryan Holaday is a career .243/.312/.350 hitter in the minors, and a career .248/.285/.356 hitter in the majors, so he hasn’t torn in up in either. Holaday is better defensively than Nicholas, but it’s not by a wide margin. Also, Nicholas had a brief call up to the Rangers earlier this season and hit .257/ .333/.543 with 4 doubles and 2 home runs in 39 at-bats. One of his home runs was off of Dellin Betances of the Yankees, and he’s no joke.
You’re right but he held his own early in the year when he was up. Got sent down to work on his defense. Even if he were needed to come up it would be as a play once a week backup and he can handle that just fine.
Rangers catching depth is just as good as anyone else’s. If Wilson or Holaday had cleared waivers maybe they would’ve accepted a minor league assignment but they didn’t and we move on.
Very true. I think Wilson would’ve refused and became a free agent. Holaday was a lock to get claimed, and I think a National League team will claim him if Boston turns right around and tries to sneak him through waivers.
Can’t really compare triple A numbers to majors. Because if this was the case Dallas McPhearson would have been a hall of famer in the major leagues.
Wrong
????
Bye Bye Hanigan
Send Ryan Hanigan to Cleveland.
Hanigan is absolutely terrible at catching Wright. I get that catching a knuckle ball is tough business but he is the worst knuckle ball catcher I’ve ever seen. Call up one of the best defensive catchers in Vazquez, put Holaday in Pawtucket, and waive Hanigan in the hope of getting anything for him.
What part didn’t you understand about Holaday being out of options?
He can’t be sent to AAA period.
Unless he agrees to be sent down. Which in his case I highly doubt it.
Redsox need Swihart to keep practicing his game calling and defensive catching in AAA when he comes back.
He will be way more valuable as a catcher.
Many people think his catching isn’t very good. But what they need to understand is Swihart just recently started catching in college. He didn’t even catch in high school. So that is expected from a catcher who is new to the position.
Veritek wasn’t even good till he was 27 years old. So Swihart has plenty of time to learn. As long as he can hit he will be fine at the catching position in the near future.
Apparently Holaday was still playing out his rehab assignment in the minors at the moment of his DFA due to a bruised left thumb. So for now, he will be on the 40 man roster until he’s called up to the show. Red Sox will have to announce soon the corresponding movement on the 40 man roster to fit Holaday.
Hanigan was put on the DL
The sox have like 5 catchers
Swihart,Vasquez,Leon,Hanigan,Holaday