harmony

To be precise, Seattle paid Robinson Cano about $108 million over five years because of his unpaid 80-day suspension this season. When Cano signed his contract five years ago the $24 million annual salary was near the highest in baseball. This year 16 players earned a higher salary than Cano, who in only 80 games this season posted an fWAR higher than eight of those 16 players. Steamer currently projects Cano with a 2019 WAR of 3.5, which this year was valued at about $28 million. Cano's contract has five years and $120 million left (with the Mariners paying $20 million of that). David Price has four years and $127 million left after the lefthander posted only 8.7 fWAR, valued at $69.9 million, over the first three years of the contract. https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders.aspx?pos=all&stats=pit&lg=all&qual=y&type=6&season=2018&month=0&season1=2016&ind=0&team=3&rost=0&age=0&filter=&players=0 Steamer currently projects Price with a 2019 WAR of 3.1, which this year was valued around $24 million. Cano never caught a sniff of the postseason with the Mariners while Price was a World Series hero but moonslav59 perhaps confuses which contract has been "not too good, so far" and which one has been "decent, so far."

True. For what it's worth, the three Red Sox catchers have a combined 15 MLB seasons (including partial seasons) but only one has a season with more than 322 plate appearances (Christian Vazquez 345 in 2017). Each has only one season with a batting average above .270 and each has a career batting average below .260. For the record: I am not a big fan of catcher Omar Narvaez.

Omar Narvaez? https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/n/narvaom01.shtml

Steamer projects 2019 WAR of 0.1 in 31 games for Blake Swihart and 0.0 in 18 innings for Brian Johnson. Steamer600, which assumes 200 innings for each starting pitcher and 450 plate appearances for each catcher, projects 2019 WAR of 0.7 for Johnson and 0.2 for Swihart. Steamer projects Zach Wheeler with 2.7 WAR in 171 innings while Steamer600 projects 2.8 WAR. Steamer600 projects the following 2019 WAR for Met catchers: Travis d'Arnaud 1.9, Kevin Plawecki 1.8, Patrick Mazeika 1.4 and Tomas Nido 0.7. https://www.fangraphs.com/projections.aspx?pos=c&stats=bat&type=steamer600&team=25&lg=all&players=0 Steamer600 projects 2019 WAR of 1.4 for Christian Vazquez and 0.8 for Sandy Leon.

As someone whose work has value, I respect copyright laws and other protections of intellectual property. And I don't have a subscription to The Athletic.

At least the offseason is fun.

This much is free:

More from Chad Jennings at The Athletic: https://theathletic.com/708795/2018/12/11/financial-pressures-loom-so-yes-red-sox-will-consider-trades-of-key-players/

I thought Red Sox fans might enjoy these video highlights of the 20-inning Red Sox win over the Seattle Pilots in 1969: And another Red Sox/Pilot game from 1969: Enjoy.

The Red Sox reportedly are willing to talk about trades of Rick Porcello, Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley Jr.:

Blake Swihart has an OPS+ of 82 in 597 MLB plate appearances, including an OPS+ of 66 in 214 plate appearances over the past two seasons: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/swihabl01.shtml With his career wRC+ of 83, Steamer projects Swihart with a 2019 wRC+ of 75: https://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=13176&position=C

The Red Sox missed out on another Venezuelan catcher, switch-hitting Jose Lobaton, who this week signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners: :)

For what it's worth, Steamer has the following 2019 projections for Red Sox starters: Chris Sale, 32 GS, 202 IP, 2.76 ERA, 6.6 WAR David Price, 32 GS, 194 IP, 3.94 ERA, 3.5 WAR Nathan Eovaldi, 29 GS, 152 IP, 3.89 ERA, 2.8 WAR Rick Porcello, 32 GS, 191 IP, 4.24 ERA, 2.6 WAR Eduardo Rodriguez, 19 GS, 136 IP, 4.02 ERA, 1.9 WAR https://www.fangraphs.com/projections.aspx?pos=all&stats=pit&type=steamer&team=0&lg=all&players=0&sort=19,d

Not that this Seattle fan particularly cares either.

In an ideal world a good trade benefits each side. This could be a good trade. Thoughts shared elsewhere: Isolated on Edwin Diaz, Jay Bruce and Anthony Swarzak, the reported blockbuster represents a classic sell-high, buy-low for the Seattle Mariners. This year Diaz posted 3.5 fWAR, Bruce 0.1 fWAR and Swarzak a negative 0.4 fWAR. In 2017 Diaz posted 1.0 fWAR, Bruce 2.6 fWAR and Swarzak 2.2 fWAR. Bruce and Swarzak are owed a combined $37 million: Bruce $29 million over two years and Swarzak $8 million in 2019 only. In 2017 Bruce and Swarzak combined for 4.8 fWAR, valued at $38.1 million, in a single season. Given their ages, Diaz and the others may be on different trajectories. Nevertheless Bruce and Swarzak may be more than sunken costs for the Mariners.

Zane Smith, whom I covered as a small-town sportswriter when the lefthander was in high school: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/smithza01.shtml Smith posted a negative 0.6 bWAR (but a 2.4 fWAR) in his only season with the Red Sox. https://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=1012218&position=P

When I was an Iowa high schooler in the early 1970s we had a girls basketball star named Fonda Dicks: https://sites.google.com/site/iahsaasports/iowa-high-schools/current-high-schools/moravia/moravia-girls-basketball

Robinson Cano is owed $120 million over five years, Jay Bruce $29 million over two years and Anthony Swarzak $8 million over one year. To get the net annual cost of Cano down to $5 million to $10 million, the Mariners would need to send the Mets between $33 million and $58 million. I don't see that happening.

Depends on the money. It could be a win-win if the Mariners send no more than $25 million on top of the $37 million owed Jay Bruce and Anthony Swarzak. Edwin Diaz has significant surplus value and Robinson Cano is probably worth at least $60 million over five years after posting 20.7 fWAR, valued at $163.7 million, over the first five years of his $240 million contract with Seattle. Steamer projects Cano with a 2019 WAR of 3.0, which is valued at about $25 million. Cano is only 16 months older than Nelson Cruz was four years ago when the Mariners signed Cruz to a four-year, $57 million contract. Cruz had a prior banned-substance suspension as well but came with less defensive value and a less-established record of production. The Mariners don't regret the contract with Cruz, who posted 14.7 fWAR, valued at $126.3 million, with Seattle. It's tough waiting for all of this to play out.

For what it's worth, since general manager Jerry Dipoto's arrival three years ago the Seattle Mariners have a better cumulative record than 10 of the 15 American League teams. Still no postseason appearance since 2001.

Steamer projects a 28-year-old Brian Johnson to post a WAR of 0.3 and an ERA of 5.13 ERA in 23 starts next year: https://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=14272&position=P With no options remaining, Johnson would need a slot on the 25-man roster unless the lefthander clears waivers, which is possible.

Despite their similar flaws, Steamer projects 2019 WAR of 0.1 in 31 games for Blake Swihart and 1.1 in 75 games for Omar Narvaez. Swihart and Narvaez, who were born less than two months apart, each come with four years of team control although Swihart is projected with a 2019 salary of $1.1 million as a Super Two while Narvaez should again earn near the league minimum salary.

That includes Dee Gordon’s 0.0 fWAR and $10.5 million salary.