Getting Traded
Bryan Mauro- Contributing Writer (@threecolorbeard)
Have any of you ever wondered what it was like for a player to be traded? Here at RedSoxLife, so did we. I had the opportunity to interview New England native and Rutgers Graduate Patrick Kivlehan.
Patrick has an interesting story and route to the big leagues.
Rutgers recruited him to play defensive back on the football team, and he did not play a competitive baseball game until his senior year at Rutgers. That year, he walked on to the baseball team and the rest is history. In his only year of college baseball, he hit .392 with 14 homeruns, 50 RBIs, and 24 steals. He was the Big East Player of the Year in his only year playing in the conference. It was enough for Patrick to get drafted in the 2012 draft. He was drafted in the 4th round by the Seattle Mariners. I asked Patrick why he decided on baseball. He told me that in his heart he always missed baseball. He knew he would never play football professionally, so he decided to see where baseball could take him. I think he made the right choice.
Patrick was with the Mariners organization until December of 2015. December of 2015 is when Patrick’s career started to get interesting. On December 2, 2015, he was traded to the Texas Rangers. On May 29, 2016, he was traded back to Seattle. On August 5, 2016, he was claimed off of waivers by the San Diego Padres, and finally on September 28, 2016, he was claimed off of waivers by the Cincinnati Reds. Through all of this, he finally reached the majors with the San Diego Padres and the Cincinnati Reds. He hit a home run in his second major league at bat for the Padres.
When I asked Patrick how that whole process was, he said the waiver process is very stressful. You have no idea what is going to happen and everything is up in the air. You just need to not focus on it and do your job of playing baseball. Once you get claimed off waivers you have to pick up and move. It’s frustrating sometimes, especially in his case, when he had already been on the move so much last year. He also did let me know that this is what he signed up for, and while it was frustrating and nerve wracking, at the same time he knows it’s just part of the business. When he got called up to the big leagues, first with the Padres and then with the Reds, he knew it was all worth it.
Patrick is currently signed with the Cincinnati Reds on a Triple A deal. He did get an invite to spring training this year. I will be on the lookout for him this spring, and I hope he does make the team. Best of luck to you, Patrick. I know one member of Red Sox Nation who is rooting for you.
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| Photo Credit: Noah Murray- The Star Ledger |
Have any of you ever wondered what it was like for a player to be traded? Here at RedSoxLife, so did we. I had the opportunity to interview New England native and Rutgers Graduate Patrick Kivlehan.
Patrick has an interesting story and route to the big leagues.
Rutgers recruited him to play defensive back on the football team, and he did not play a competitive baseball game until his senior year at Rutgers. That year, he walked on to the baseball team and the rest is history. In his only year of college baseball, he hit .392 with 14 homeruns, 50 RBIs, and 24 steals. He was the Big East Player of the Year in his only year playing in the conference. It was enough for Patrick to get drafted in the 2012 draft. He was drafted in the 4th round by the Seattle Mariners. I asked Patrick why he decided on baseball. He told me that in his heart he always missed baseball. He knew he would never play football professionally, so he decided to see where baseball could take him. I think he made the right choice.
 |
| Photo Credit: Denis Poroy |
When I asked Patrick how that whole process was, he said the waiver process is very stressful. You have no idea what is going to happen and everything is up in the air. You just need to not focus on it and do your job of playing baseball. Once you get claimed off waivers you have to pick up and move. It’s frustrating sometimes, especially in his case, when he had already been on the move so much last year. He also did let me know that this is what he signed up for, and while it was frustrating and nerve wracking, at the same time he knows it’s just part of the business. When he got called up to the big leagues, first with the Padres and then with the Reds, he knew it was all worth it.
Patrick is currently signed with the Cincinnati Reds on a Triple A deal. He did get an invite to spring training this year. I will be on the lookout for him this spring, and I hope he does make the team. Best of luck to you, Patrick. I know one member of Red Sox Nation who is rooting for you.
