harmony

Four of: CF Jackie Bradley Jr. SP Jake Odorizzi ® SP Michael Wacha ® RP Kelvin Herrera ® RP Nick Vincent ® RP Luis Avilan (L) Red Sox exec Chaim Bloom may resist the temptation to become immediately competitive in 2021. Or not.

That's why teams use advanced defensive metrics such as those provided at Statcast.

The Cincinnati Reds reportedly think Trevor Bauer is a fit: Trevor Bauer on future with Reds WWW.MLB.COM Trevor Bauer has dominated on the mound this season and has the chance of becoming the first Reds pitcher to win the National League Cy Young Award. Bauer also performed his best as Cincinnati battled for a playoff spot and did it in his walk-year ahead of becoming a first-time

On the topic of fits, Trevor Bauer's reported desire to pitch every fourth day fits well with the reported desire of Seattle lefthander Yusei Kikuchi, a product of Japan's six-man-rotation, one-start-a-week system: https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/mlb/reds/2020/09/22/cincinnati-reds-notes-trevor-bauer-happy-pitch-short-rest-mlb/5867831002/ http://www.ussmariner.com/2019/01/04/yusei-kikuchi-and-the-ms-pitching-plan/

Trevor Bauer trains in the offseason at Driveline Baseball in Seattle: ... and is familiar with at least one member of the Seattle Mariner rotation: After shedding big contracts, the Mariners have payroll flexibility: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1P55um0jB8gsz4M2Q7hFeD6aFki7n74DBC1tsWXwoD5U/edit#gid=1520401900 The righthanded Bauer would complement three returning lefthanded Seattle starters who this year have posted 1.7 fWAR in 10 starts, 1.4 fWAR in nine starts and 1.1 fWAR in nine starts: https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=pit&lg=all&qual=0&type=8&season=2020&month=0&season1=2020&ind=0&team=11&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&startdate=&enddate= https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=pit&lg=all&qual=0&type=8&season=2020&month=0&season1=2020&ind=0&team=3&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&startdate=&enddate= With team options, the Mariners control southpaws Marco Gonzales, Justus Sheffield and Yusei Kikuchi through the 2025 season. One downside is that a resulting rotation reshuffling could block the progress of righthanded Seattle prospects Emerson Hancock, Logan Gilbert and George Kirby, who currently are ranked No. 31, No. 36 and No. 100 in MLB Pipeline's Top 100 list: Top 100 Baseball Prospects | MLB.com WWW.MLB.COM The Official Site of Major League Baseball Another option might be righthander Taijuan Walker, who last offseason as a non-tendered free agent chose to return to Seattle despite a dismal 2020 forecast for the Mariners. Bauer and Walker. Or not.

A sarcasm emoji was needed on my post.

Interesting issue:

Rusney Castillo, who is 43 days older than 33-year-old J.D. Martinez, could bring a veteran presence. Or not.

Should the Red Sox tender Eduardo Rodriguez a contract as a measure of good will? Much could depend on the medical updates between now and December 2.

The Astros might want to keep lefthander Framber Valdez with Justin Verlander, Zack Greinke and Lance McCullers scheduled to enter free agency after the 2021 season.

With the state of their rotation, the Red Sox will likely exercise the $6.25 million option on Martin Perez for 2021 instead of paying the lefthander a $500,000 buyout. Before tonight's meltdown, Perez had posted 0.5 fWAR, valued at $3.9 million, in 11 starts.

Or if Eduardo Rodriguez is still nearly a year away from returning.

Who will get a bigger contract: Marcus Stroman or Taijuan Walker?

In 11 starts this year Rick Porcello is 1-6 with an ERA of 5.46 but with a FIP of 3.15 while posting 1.7 fWAR, the 23rd best in baseball this season: https://www.fangraphs.com/players/rick-porcello/2717/stats?position=P https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=pit&lg=all&qual=10&type=8&season=2020&month=0&season1=2020&ind=0&team=&rost=&age=&filter=&players=&startdate=&enddate= Porcello could be an interesting get. Or not.

Righthander Taijuan Walker, who is only 28 years old, has an ERA of 2.86 and an ERA+ of 152 in 10 starts this season: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/w/walketa01.shtml Wallker has an ERA of 1.54 in five starts in the soft AL East this year. What kind of contract would land Walker?

In March MLB News ranked the Red Sox and Angel farm systems No. 25 and No. 26: 2020 farm system rankings WWW.MLB.COM Since MLB Pipeline began ranking prospect talent before the 2015 season, the top-rated systems have sparked big league success. The Cubs (pre-2015) and Red Sox (mid-'15) won World Series, the Dodgers (pre-2016) advanced to consecutive World Series, and the Brewers (mid-'16) and Braves (pre-'17) have made multiple playoff appearances. The

What is a fair 2021 salary for Eduardo Rodriguez in his final arbitration year working off his 2020 salary of $8.3 million?

To be precise, Logan Allen cracked the preseason Top 100 prospect lists in 2019 some three years after the Red Sox traded the lefthander in November 2015. https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=allen-000log https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/allenlo01.shtml#all_transactions_other

What are the chances the Red Sox do not tender Eduardo Rodriguez a 2021 contract working off the lefthander's 2020 salary of $8.3 million? If the Sox do not tender Rodriguez a contract, will Rodriguez look elsewhere instead of negotiating a lower salary with the Sox? Does Rodriguez harbor ill feelings after losing in arbitration last offseason when the panel went with the team's $8.3 million figure over his proposal of $8.975 million? MLB Trade Rumors had projected Rodriguez with a 2020 salary of $9.5 million coming off his 19-win season. Rodriguez is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2021 season. The offseason could be more interesting than the 2020 season. Or not.

The Los Angeles Angels are rumored to be interested in former Red Sox exec Dave Dombrowski: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/09/angels-rumors-dave-dombroswki-general-manager-billy-eppler.html

What are the chances the Red Sox do not tender Eduardo Rodriguez a 2021 contract working off the lefthander's 2020 salary of $8.3 million? If the Sox do not tender Rodriguez a contract, will Rodriguez look elsewhere instead of negotiating a lower salary with the Sox? Does Rodriguez harbor ill feelings after losing in arbitration last offseason when the panel went with the team's $8.3 million figure over his proposal of $8.975 million? MLB Trade Rumors had projected Rodriguez with a 2020 salary of $9.5 million coming off his 19-win season. Rodriguez is scheduled to become a free agent after the 2021 season. The offseason could be more interesting than the 2020 season. Or not.

Last year Eduardo Rodriguez and Seattle's Marco Gonzales -- lefthanders born 14 months apart -- each posted 3.7 fWAR in league-leading 34 starts apiece. Their fortunes have diverged this year with Rodriguez on the shelf and Gonzales impressing with 1.7 fWAR in 10 starts. Who knows what 2021 holds for the COVID survivor and the Tommy John survivor who in 2015 were ranked No. 59 and No. 50, respectively, on Baseball America's Top 100 prospect list? https://www.fangraphs.com/players/eduardo-rodriguez/13164/stats?position=P https://www.fangraphs.com/players/marco-gonzales/15467/stats?position=P

The John Olerud Award has been given each year since 2010 to the best two-way player at the college level. Eventual Red Sox lefthander Brian Johnson won the award in 2012 out of the University of Florida. What John Olerud Award winner (who has taken a single path) has posted the highest WAR at the MLB level?

Except for 2019, Carlos Carrasco has been reliable. Even with his shortened 2019 season, Carrasco ranks among the Top 30 in innings pitched since 2015. No pitcher has made more starts than Carrasco so far this season.

I stand corrected on Yasmani Grandahl and James McCann, who switched teams as free agents. Wilson Ramos was traded on July 31, 2018, and J.T. Realmuto was traded on February 7, 2019. A majority of the 30 top catchers of the last three seasons have changed teams during that period, an indication that the market is fluid.