harmony

The Red Sox reportedly to sign lefty reliever Dan Runzler to a minor league contract:

This fan of the Seattle Mariners and James Paxton wishes the lefthander well in New York. However, I found this comp interesting (if not particularly meaningful): James Paxton and Erik Bedard are Canadian lefthanders who were involved in major Seattle Mariner trades, each with two years of team control remaining. The Baltimore Orioles traded a 29-year-old Bedard to the Mariners when the southpaw was coming off a 2007 season with this line: 182 IP, 28 GS, 13-5 W/L, 3.16 ERA, 1.09 WHIP, 3.88 K/BB, 146 ERA+, 5.7 bWAR, 5.0 fWAR The Mariners traded a 30-year-old Paxton to the New York Yankees when the lefty was coming off a 2018 season with this line: 160.1 IP, 28 GS, 11-6 W/L, 3.76 ERA, 1.10 WHIP, 4.95 K/BB, 108 ERA+, 2.9 bWAR, 3.8 fWAR Compare their career lines at the time of each trade: EB 658 IP, 114 G, 111 GS, 3.83 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 2.52 K/BB, 118 ERA+, 12.8 bWAR, 15.5 fWAR JP 582.1 IP, 102 G, 102 GS, 3.42 ERA, 1.19 WHIP, 3.67 K/BB, 117 ERA+, 10.9 bWAR, 14.1 fWAR The Orioles traded Bedard for outfielder Adam Jones (who had lost his prospect status with a lackluster MLB debut after being Baseball America's 28th-ranked prospect the previous spring), righthander Chris Tillman (BA's 67th-ranked prospect after the trade and 22nd-ranked prospect the following year), three years of lefty reliever George Sherrill (who made the All Star team in 2008 before fading), righthanded reliever Kam Mickolio (whose MLB career was limited to 29 games) and lefthander Tony Butler (who never pitched above Double A). The Mariners traded Paxton for lefthander Justus Sheffield (BA's 41st-ranked prospect a year ago and MLB Prospect Watch's 31st-ranked prospect this year), as well as two unranked prospects: righthander Erik Swanson and outfielder Dom Thompson-Williams. Again, interesting but not necessarily meaningful.

Can't get anything past notin.

Jenrry Mejia (28) has more career saves than Carson Smith (14) and Tyler Thornburg (13) combined. Mejia, Smith and Thornburg rank 1, 2 and 3 in career saves among pitchers currently in the Red Sox organization. Who ranks fourth with 12 career saves?

Trivia: Koji Uehara and current Arizona reliever Yoshihisa Hirano came over to the United States approaching their 34th birthdays. In their first MLB seasons, Uehara pitched 66.2 innings (in 12 starts) with an ERA+ 113 while Hirano pitched 66.1 innings (all in relief) with an ERA+ of 178. Each righthander had pitched 11 seasons in Japan's Pacific League. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Uehara had an ERA of 3.02 in 1,583.2 innings while the 6-foot-1, 185-pound Hirano had an ERA of 3.10 in 974.2 innings. Hirano is owed $3 million in 2019 and apparently remains under team control for an additional four seasons.

Brandon Maurer is off the board:

Is Craig Kimbrel out of the question for the Red Sox? https://weei.radio.com/blogs/rob-bradford/what-its-worth-craig-kimbrel-working-out-near-boston

The Arizona Diamondbacks reportedly will sign reliever Greg Holland: I wonder whether that makes Archie Bradley or Yoshihisa Hirano (or Rubby De La Rosa) more available in a trade.

A designation for assignment might be the kindest thing the Red Sox could do for Blake Swihart.

The DFA would not preclude a trade, which could occur within seven days of the DFA. A team interested in acquiring Blake Swihart could feel pressure to trade for Swihart if that team fears that a club with a higher waiver priority would claim him.

The Red Sox should just designate Blake Swihart for assignment. If another club claims Swihart, the Red Sox save his 2019 salary of $910,000 and open up another slot on the 40-man roster (which currently stands at 39): https://www.rosterresource.com/mlb-boston-red-sox If no team claims Swihart, the Red Sox can outright him to the minors without his consent because Swihart does not have three years of MLB service. However, the Sox would still owe the 2019 salary of $910,000 even if the Sox release Swihart. Either way Swihart should get more reps than he would receive as the third-string catcher for the Red Sox. From Cot's Baseball Contracts: Designated for Assignment (DFA) A player designated for assignment is removed from his club’s 40-man roster and, within the next seven days, traded, released or, if he clears waivers, assigned to the minor leagues. A club may not designate a player for assignment if the corresponding transaction is to recall a player on optional assignment. A player designated for assignment may be traded. A club interested in acquiring a player who has been designated for assignment may try to work out a trade before the player is placed on waivers, eliminating the possibility he might be claimed by a club with a higher waiver claim priority. A player designated for assignment who clears waivers and is not traded may be released. The player then becomes a free agent. A club wishing to send a player designated for assignment to the minor leagues must first place him on irrevocable outright waivers, making him available to the other 29 clubs in reverse order of won-lost record. If the player is claimed, he is lost to the claiming team for $20,000. (Irrevocable waivers may not be reversed.) The claiming team is responsible for the balance of the contract. If the player is not claimed (clears waivers), the club may option him or assign him outright to the minor leagues, though he must continue to be paid according to the terms of his contract. A player may be assigned outright to the minors only once in his career without his permission. Thereafter, he may either 1) reject the assignment and become a free agent, or 2) accept the assignment and become a free agent at the end of the season if he’s not back on the 40-man roster. Additionally, player with 3 years of major league service may refuse an outright assignment and choose to become a free agent, regardless of whether he has been sent outright to the minors previously. A player with 5 years of major league service time who refuses an outright assignment is entitled to the money due according to the terms of his contract. https://legacy.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/cots/league-info/transactions-glossary/

MLB reinstates pitcher Jenrry Mejia WWW.MLB.COM NEW YORK -- Jenrry Mejia is no longer banned for life from Major League Baseball. His appeal for reinstatement from permanent suspension under Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program was approved on Friday, and the New York Mets pitcher is now cleared to resume participation in non-public

Last week I speculated that the Red Sox would sign a minor league deal with a reliever who would go on to win the Reliever of the Year Award. Shame on me for being optimistic.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have three years of 26-year-old righthander Archie Bradley with a 2019 salary of $1.83 million, five years of nearly 35-year-old Yoshihisa Hirano with a 2019 salary of $3 million and two years of nearly 30-year-old former Red Sox righthander Rubby De La Rosa in the minors: https://www.rosterresource.com/mlb-arizona-diamondbacks/ However, I'm not convinced the Diamondbacks are selling off.

Reliever Shawn Kelley reportedly is off the table after signing with the Texas Rangers:

Steamer projects Tayron Guerrero and Blake Swihart with 2019 WAR of 0.1 each: https://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=11691&position=P https://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=13176&position=C ... after Guerrero posted a negative 0.1 fWAR and Swihart a negative 0.3 fWAR in 2018. Guerrero remains under team control for five years and Swihart for four years (with a 2019 Super Two salary of $910,000).

Nothing ... I misread the post. My apologies. FWIW, Steamer600 projects Christian Vazquez 60th in 2019 WAR among all catchers (although WAR may not capture pitch-framing and game-calling abilities): https://www.fangraphs.com/projections.aspx?pos=c&stats=bat&type=steamer600&team=0&lg=all&players=0&sort=27%2cd

Tayron Guerrero, who is a candidate to close in Miami, comes with five years of team control and has no options remaining. https://www.rosterresource.com/mlb-closer-depth-chart/ https://www.rosterresource.com/mlb-miami-marlins

Steamer600, which assumes 450 plate appearances for each catcher, projects 2019 WAR of 1.7 for Josh Phegley, 2.0 for Oakland teammate Chris Herrmann and 0.2 for Blake Swihart. Among all catchers in the projections, Phegley ranks No. 32, Herrmann No. 21 and Swihart No. 209: https://www.fangraphs.com/projections.aspx?pos=c&stats=bat&type=steamer600&team=0&lg=all&players=0&sort=27%2cd

By one measure the Red Sox have the 28th-ranked farm system: Top teams on 2019 Top 100 Prospects list WWW.MLB.COM MLB Pipeline's unveiling of our list of the Top 100 Prospects for 2019 marks the culmination of a two-week run during which we also looked at the Top 10 prospects at each position.:: Complete 2019 Top 100 Prospects coverage ::This year's Top 100 list is the first since 2015 to ... while the Yankees are ranked No. 24. How can the last-place Miami Marlins be nearly shut out after trading away Giancarlo Stanton, Christian Yelich and Marcell Ozuna a year ago? E6 Derek Jeter.

Adam Conley is an interesting option with four years of team control and a 2019 salary of $1.13 million. Heath Hembree has three years of team control and a 2019 salary of $1.31 million. Steamer projects Conley with a 2019 WAR of a negative 0.1 WAR coming off a season of 0.4 fWAR in 50.2 innings. Steamer projects Hembree with a 2019 WAR of 0.2 in 55 innings coming off a season of 0.2 fWAR in 60 innings. Marcel projects Conley with a 2019 ERA of 4.56 in 50.2 innings and Hembree with a 2019 ERA of 3.98 in 61 innings. Conley is a 28-year-old lefthander from the Seattle area while Hembree is a 30-year-old righthander. If the Miami Marlins trade J.T. Realmuto perhaps the Fish would be interested in another Super Two, Blake Swihart, who comes with four years of team control and a 2019 salary of $910,000. Or not. I question whether the Red Sox can afford six years of Lou Trivino and whether the Athletics will dismantle their bullpen coming off a 97-win season.

Whom could the Red Sox trade to land one of these potential closers? Mychal Givens comes with three years of team control and a 2019 salary of $2.15 million. Will Smith is owed $4.23 million in his final year of team control. Joe Jimenez has five years of team control, earning the league minimum in 2019. Fernando Rodney will earn $5.25 million in the final year of his contract but I doubt Oakland wants to dismantle its bullpen coming off a 97-win season.

Parker Bridwell sets a high bar.

With Blake Swihart out of options, I'm not sure another club would have room for Swihart on its 25-man roster. One way to find out is to designate Swihart for assignment and then, barring a trade, place him on waivers. In the plausible event he goes unclaimed, Swihart may be sent to Pawtucket where he can get the reps he needs. http://m.mlb.com/glossary/transactions/designate-for-assignment

An anonymous scout reportedly still views the Yankees with a Top 10 farm system: https://www.nj.com/yankees/2019/01/what-to-make-of-yankees-farm-system-which-has-only-2-in-baseball-prospectus-top-101.html