harmony

This response promises to elicit a laugh.

Indeed. The Red Sox are on pace to finish with a better record than the Seattle Mariners for the eighth time in the last 10 seasons. And this year the Mariners should break their tie with the Red Sox for the most last-place finishes this decade. The Red Sox have four World Series titles this millenium while the Mariners have never been to the World Series. That's what makes each franchise special. Their trajectories may be shifting ... or not. https://www.lookoutlanding.com/2019/8/20/20812419/industry-experts-weigh-in-on-mariners-top-prospects

FiveThirtyEight has the Yankees third as well: https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2019-mlb-predictions/ The real race may involve Minnesota, Cleveland, Oakland and Tampa Bay for the two Wild Card slots. One should be left on the outside looking in.

No argument there. It's denigration to call the remarkable 2019 Yankees a joke and "the worst 100 win team in the history of baseball." And I'm no fan of the New York Yankees.

Yankee fans must be laughing at Red Sox fans who denigrate a Yankee club that holds a 16-game lead over the Red Sox. The current Red Sox record is closer to the record of the lowly Seattle Mariners than to the current Yankee record.

So far the Yankees have experienced an amazing season in the face of adversity. To place the Yankee success into perspective, the current Red Sox record (67-60, .528) is closer to the current record (54-74, .422) of the lowly Seattle Mariners than to the current Yankee record (83-44, .654).

The Rays scored two in the bottom of the ninth to edge the Mariners 7-6 on Wednesday.

You are held in the highest esteem.

The Red Sox have an 8-10 record so far in August despite the recent five-game winning streak. The rally will need to start soon if the Sox hope to advance to the postseason.

Aaron Nola's little-known older brother, Austin Nola, finally made his MLB debut with the Seattle Mariners on June 16 at the age of 29 years, 170 days: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/nolaau01.shtml Before going 1-for-4 with a run and RBI on Tuesday, Austin Nola had posted a .320/.370/.560/.930 line with an OPS+ of 148 in 136 plate appearances. Austin Nola has made 30 appearances at first base, 14 at second base, two at third base, two at catcher, one in right field and one in left field. The elder Austin may not have a promising future but he's provided feel-good story in a losing Seattle season.

Have you ever been to the Dakotas? BTW, Darin Erstad and Travis Hafner lead all native North Dakotans in career bWAR while Mark Ellis leads all native South Dakotans. Roger Maris was born in Bob Dylan's hometown of Hibbing, Minnesota, but went to high school in Fargo, North Dakota. By the way, the Tampa Bay Rays lost tonight to remain only six games ahead of the Red Sox.

Native Americans don't count? Why did Maine break off from Massachusetts to become a separate state in 1820?

A Red Sox trip to this year's postseason would be quite impressive.

The Red Sox are fourth in the American League in OPS: https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=0&type=1&season=2019&month=0&season1=2019&ind=0&team=0,ts&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&startdate=2019-01-01&enddate=2019-12-31&sort=9,d ... and fourth in wRC+: https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=0&type=8&season=2019&month=0&season1=2019&ind=0&team=0,ts&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&startdate=2019-01-01&enddate=2019-12-31&sort=16,d ... and seventh in pitching fWAR: https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=pit&lg=all&qual=0&type=8&season=2019&month=0&season1=2019&ind=0&team=0,ts&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&startdate=&enddate= ... and second in position player fWAR: https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&lg=all&qual=0&type=8&season=2019&month=0&season1=2019&ind=0&team=0,ts&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0&startdate=&enddate=

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2019-mlb-predictions/ https://www.fangraphs.com/standings/playoff-odds

The lowly Seattle Mariners did their best to accommodate.

Another perspective: "Stepping back" this season, the Seattle Mariners are a historically struggling franchise on pace for its worst record since 2011. Yet the current Red Sox record (67-59) is closer to the Mariner record (52-73) than to the current Yankee record (83-43).

If that's the definition then indeed the Red Sox have outperformed the Yankees this decade. By other measures, not so much. Pick your perspective.

Even in the cold evenings of a postseason-less October, Red Sox fans will have warm memories of four World Series titles this millenium. Nothing can take away those World Series championships ... ... and nothing can take away the three last-place finishes in the last 10 seasons. This decade the Red Sox have compiled a 855-729 (.540) record in the regular season while the Yankees have complied a 901-683 (.569) record with no losing seasons. The frustration of Red Sox fans this season is understandable but perhaps some fans spend too much time denigrating the injury-plagued team with a 16-game lead over the Sox.

My condolences.

Could be tough to find a team that views J.A. Happ as a wise investment at $17 million per year coming off a 2018 season with an ERA of 3.65 in 177.2 innings. In the three previous seasons, Happ had an ERA of 3.44 in 518 innings while Price has an ERA of 3.77 in 356 innings since the start of the 2017 season.

Innings-limited David Price has pitched only 105.1 innings this year, not enough qualify for the FanGraphs fWAR rankings: https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=pit&lg=all&qual=y&type=8&season=2019&month=0&season1=2019&ind=0&team=0&rost=&age=&filter=&players=&startdate=&enddate= Among all pitchers this year Price ranks 49th with 2.3 fWAR, valued at $18.2 million: https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=pit&lg=all&qual=0&type=8&season=2019&month=0&season1=2019&ind=0&team=0&rost=&age=&filter=&players=&startdate=&enddate=&page=2_30 One website lists Price with a negative value of $44.8 million, which subtracted from the $96 million he's owed, leaves about $51 million over three years, or $17 million a season. https://www.baseballtradevalues.com/trade-simulator/ With a 4.25 ERA over an abbreviated 105.1 innings and an IL-stint, a 34-year-old Price might be hard-pressed to land a three-year contract at $18 million per. A decent comp might be Cubs lefthander Cole Hamels, a pending free agent who is 20 months older than Price. Hamels, with his own IL stint this year, has posted 2.4 fWAR, valued at $19.1 million, in 109.2 innings.

According to Cot's Baseball Contracts, Red Sox lefthander David Price is owed $96 million over the next three seasons: https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/cots/al-east/boston-red-sox/ One website lists Price with a negative value of $44.8 million: https://www.baseballtradevalues.com/trade-simulator/ In other words, if that value is accurate, the Red Sox would need to pay about $45 million to get little in return.

David Price is signed for three more seasons for a total of $96 million.

Chris Sale to visit Dr. James Andrews, according to Adam Kaufman of WBZ News Radio: And from the Boston Globe's Pete Abraham: