harmony

Reliever George Kontos reportedly is off the board:

Careful ... you might be called "the cooler.":)

The Red Sox will likely sign a minor league deal with a reliever who will go on to win this year's Reliever of the Year Award. Or not.

Seattle's ballpark (now T-Mobile Park) surrendered more home runs than Fenway Park last year: http://www.espn.com/mlb/stats/parkfactor/_/year/2018/sort/HRFactor ... which may be a reflection on weak Mariner pitching although the same was true in 2017: http://www.espn.com/mlb/stats/parkfactor/_/year/2017/sort/HRFactor

This Seattle fan applauds the Hunter Strickland signing but the newest Mariner has his own character issues: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xiso0qrhD4E

Justin Wilson reportedly is off the board: ... as is fellow lefty Oliver Perez:

Hunter Strickland signed a one-year contract with Seattle for about $1.3 million, plus incentives that could nearly double his salary based on games pitched and games finished. Because Strickland comes with two additional years of team control the modest deal makes some sense for a club that plans to "step back" in 2019. The Red Sox selected Strickland in the 18th round of the 2007 draft but traded the righthander with Argenis Diaz to Pittsburgh in July 2009 for Adam LaRoche.

I assume the "youth" reference pertains to the 23-year-olds -- Michael Chavis and Bobby Dalbec -- not 28-year-old Brian Johnson or 30-year-old Hector Velasquez. Even Blake Swihart turns 27 years old in April.

From a payroll perspective, a trade would save only Blake Swihart's 2019 salary of $910,000.

From Thursday's MLB Trade Rumors chat with Steve Adams: https://www.jotcast.com/chat/chat-with-mlbtrs-steve-adams-1-24-19-4418.html

Reliever Shawn Kelley is looking better and better each day: https://www.masslive.com/redsox/2019/01/boston-red-sox-in-active-discussions-with-relievers-per-source.html As more relievers come off the board does the price for Kelley go up or down?

Seattle outfield prospect Kyle Lewis was Baseball America's 67th-ranked prospect a year ago but fell off this year's list. So the Mariners had one BA-ranked prospect before the James Paxton and Edwin Diaz trades, which added only two of the four current prospects on Baseball America's Top 100 list. The Diaz trade netted another prospect Baseball America listed among the "next ten" this year after ranking him No. 100 two years ago. In summary, the Mariners have four current prospects on the Baseball America Top 100 and two other prospects who were previously ranked (including Lewis as high as No. 34 in 2017). Of course Red Sox prospects Michael Chavis and Jay Groome have been previously ranked. Nevertheless, farm systems are probably overrated.

https://www.fangraphs.com/projections.aspx?pos=all&stats=pit&type=steamer600&team=3&lg=all&players=0&sort=19,d https://www.fangraphs.com/projections.aspx?pos=all&stats=pit&type=steamer600&team=13&lg=all&players=0&sort=19,d The Red Sox have a strong starting rotation on paper but the dropoff is steep after the top five.

Do the Red Sox have a "decent" spare starter who would be an upgrade over Ariel Jurado, Yolander Mendez, Luke Farrell and Adrian Sampson?

The Cubs reportedly will sign reliever Brad Brach:

The Texas Rangers have a projected starting rotation of Mike Minor, Lance Lynn, Drew Smyly, Edinson Volquez and Shelby Miller: https://www.rosterresource.com/mlb-texas-rangers/ https://www.fangraphs.com/projections.aspx?pos=all&stats=pit&type=steamer600&team=13&lg=all&players=0&sort=19,d

FWIW, the Seattle Mariners have four prospects in Baseball America's Top 100.

I thought the Mariners had been in last place. Past tense.

Neither the Red Sox nor the Yankees placed a player on Baseball America's Top 100 prospect list released today:

With two years and 164 days of MLB service, Blake Swihart remains under team control for four more seasons (including this year as a Super Two with a salary of $910,000): https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/swihabl01.shtml

The only thing I remember about my law school tax course is the difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion.

The Seattle roster has some entertainment value: https://www.rosterresource.com/mlb-seattle-mariners/ A non-contending team can gamble with an outfield of Mitch Haniger, Mallex Smith and Domingo Santana, ages 28, 25 and 26, under team control for an aggregate 11 seasons, who will earn only a combined $3 million this year despite seasons of 4.6, 3.4 and 3.3 fWAR within the last two years. A non-contending team can gamble on bounce-back seasons from second baseman Dee Gordon and third baseman Kyle Seager while Edwin Encarnacion takes over at first base, Omar Narvaez at catcher, Jay Bruce at designated hitter and Tim Beckham at shortstop until J.P. Crawford is ready. Ryon Healy and Daniel Vogelbach wait in the wings in anticipation of trades of Encarnacion and Bruce. A non-contending team can gamble that 27-year-old Japanese lefthander Yusei Kikuchi replaces 30-year-old southpaw James Paxton in the starting rotation. Nearly 27-year-old lefty Marco Gonzales last season ranked 23rd among all starters in fWAR, just ahead of Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke (and nearly a full fWAR ahead of any Red Sox pitcher not named Chris Sale). Even Mike Leake has posted 3.6 fWAR in 36 starts with Seattle. As points of reference, last year Rick Porcello and David Price each posted 2.7 fWAR in 33 and 30 starts, respectively. The Mariners, who will lose some of those gambles, aren't expected to contend but could well avoid their first last-place finish since 2012. While Red Sox fans enjoy another likely winning season this Seattle fan hopes to enjoy the entertainment of the this year's Mariners.

The Seattle Mariners could be surprisingly (but characteristically) mediocre this year: https://www.rosterresource.com/mlb-seattle-mariners/ Or not.

MLB.com contributor Jim Callis on August 2 ranked the Yankee farm system No. 10: Top 10 farm systems in MLB WWW.MLB.COM When A.J. Preller took over as the Padres' general manager in August 2014, he hoped to return the club to contention instantly. In his first four months on the job, he traded a slew of prospects -- including Jake Bauers, Zach Eflin, Max Fried, Joe Ross, Mallex Smith and Trea The Yankees have since traded away at least four prospects, including top prospect Justus Sheffield.

Indeed. Mookie Betts should not be limited to a single employer for six MLB seasons and be forced to accept a league minimum salary for 2+ highly productive years.