Red Sox News: Blake Swihart's Agent Asks Team to Trade Catcher

Boston Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart's agent said Tuesday he has asked the team to trade his client because of a lack of consistent playing time.

According to Evan Drellich of NBC Sports Boston, Brodie Scoffield of The Legacy Agency said he has an issue with the way Swihart has been utilized:

"Yes. We've had conversations with the team, and they're aware of how we feel. Blake's in a really difficult position. We've got a switch-hitter, offensive impact player, and his bat deserves a chance to be in the lineup. 

"Blake's not the type of player that's going to ask or demand a trade [on his own]. He's focused on what's in front of him and happy having a positive impact on the team and the situation at hand. That being said, I don't think we're building any type of trade value, nor helping him progress as a ballplayer, nor is the team really being served by him in this role."

Swihart is the third catcher behind Sandy Leon and Christian Vazquez, and he has seen action in the outfield and at first base.

The 26-year-old Swihart has had just 29 at-bats this season, and he is hitting .138 with no home runs and one RBI.

He appeared in six games last season and 19 contests in 2016, but he showed flashes in 2015 when he hit .274 with five homers and 31 RBI over 84 games.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora suggested during spring training that Swihart could be Boston's version of Marwin Gonzalez, who plays multiple positions for the Houston Astros.

On Tuesday, Scoffield lamented the fact that Swihart hasn't been used in that manner:

"We're talking about Blake being the Marwin Gonzalez of the Red Sox. We're talking about ground balls at second base, we're taking ground balls at third base, we're in the outfield, we're catching. But none of that's materialized. And so it's mixed messages. It's an undefined role for a player that can catch, that can hit, and whose athleticism allows him to move all around the diamond."

The Red Sox originally selected Swihart with the No. 26 overall pick of the 2011 MLB draft.

Despite the fact that Leon is hitting .170 and Vazquez is hitting .179—and that they have combined for one home run and 10 RBI this season—there doesn't appear to be a path to regular playing time for Swihart with the Red Sox.

With a record of 28-14, Boston has the second-best mark in Major League Baseball, and it trails the New York Yankees by one game for the American League East lead.