harmony

https://www.foul-territory.com/mlb/craig-kimbrel

Ivan the Great at the Atlanta Braves' site Talking Chop analyzes aging: https://www.talkingchop.com/2019/2/9/18202695/baseball-analysis-primer-aging Ivan the Great's analysis of surplus value could be helpful in assessing trade proposals: https://www.talkingchop.com/2019/2/10/18202698/baseball-analysis-primer-surplus-value

I suspect J.D. Martinez had other offers before accepting the Red Sox offer: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2018/02/what-other-teams-could-emerge-for-j-d-martinez.html :)

Robinson Cano has posted 20.7 fWAR, valued at $163.7 million, in the first five years of his 10-year, $240 million contract (that was reduced to $228 million with his 80-game suspension last year). Steamer and ZiPS project Cano with 2019 WAR of 3.4 and 2.5, respectively, which last year were valued at about $27 million and $20 million. The 36-year-old Cano would need a precipitous drop in production to fall short of his $228 million paycheck (although the $120 million balance of the contract may be underwater and the Mariners will be paying $20 million of that).

I saw Frank Robinson play in an exciting 1967 game that featured five future Hall of Famers (plus Tony Oliva, Boog Powell, Paul Blair and Davey Johnson): https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/MIN/MIN196708310.shtml

Reliever Sergio Romo reportedly is close to signing a one-year deal with unidentified club:

:D:D I found myself nodding while reading dgalehouse's post.

You might enjoy Rob Neyer's latest book, Power Ball: Anatomy of a Modern Baseball Game, which distinguishes the Astros and Cubs rebuilds from the blatant tanking in the NBA: https://www.harpercollins.com/9780062853615/power-ball/

Good point. https://soxsphere.com/2019/01/31/red-sox-take-time-to-sign-a-closer/

The Red Sox failed to sign any of the 10 potential closers suggested in November by Boston Globe columnist Alex Speier: https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/redsox/2018/11/13/here-are-options-for-red-sox-possible-closers/MuAiKEtrWIwIhfutRLnisI/story.html

The Red Sox reportedly will sign righthanded reliever Brian Ellington to a minor league contract:

Erik Bedard had pitched more innings through his age 28 season than James Paxton has pitched through his age 29 season. I am a fan of James Paxton, who pitched a career high of 28 starts and 160.1 innings last year, but durability describes neither Bedard nor Paxton.

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.