harmony

Heading into Wednesday's solid game, Andrew Benintendi this year had posted a .266/.350/.442/.792 line with 28 runs, seven home runs and 22 RBI. ZiPS projects Benintendi with a rest-of-season line of .279/.355/.445/.800 with 65 runs, 13 home runs and 67 RBI. Steamer projects Benintendi with a rest-of-season line of .275/.355/.445/.800 with 65 runs, 12 home runs and 55 RBI. FanGraphs Depth Charts project Benintendi with a rest-of-season line of .277/.355/.449/.804 with 64 runs, 13 home runs and 60 RBI. https://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=17901&position=OF

Feeling old? I am old enough to be my older daughter's grandfather but I feel awfully young. My younger daughter, who turns 20 in September, is finishing her first year of college.

To be precise, in 2015 Blake Swihart hit .274 with a BABIP of .359 in 309 plate appearances: https://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=13176&position=C

My first-born started kindergarten that fall and will graduate from Stanford next month.

The Mariners have the option of going with Dee Gordon, a Gold Glove-winning, two-time All Star second baseman who this year has posted a .327/.353/.415/.769 line with a league-leading 15 stolen bases in 171 plate appearances. But that's just me.:) I agree that regression should work both ways.

I question the market for a non-catcher whom ZiPS, Steamer and FanGraphs Depth Charts project with rest-of-season wRC+ of 58, 68 and 63. https://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=13176&position=C

That's not particularly encouraging because no matter how great Mookie Betts is -- and Betts is great -- I doubt he maintains this pace for an entire season. Regression awaits.

The Red Sox have known for at least a year that the club had a logjam at catcher. I suspect the Sox have been shopping the catchers for a long time but have declined multiple offers. Perhaps the Sox need to lower their sights in what a trade will return.

Blake Swihart is entirely justified in seeking a trade for an opportunity to succeed or fail as an MLB player. I have little confidence in Swihart but I hope he proves me wrong. In terms of Swihart's trade value, I posted this recently: Blake Swihart is a year older now than Jarrod Saltalmacchia was in June 2010 when the Texas Rangers traded the switch-hitting catcher to the Red Sox for Chris McGuiness, Roman Mendez, Michael Thomas and cash. SoxProspects has never ranked the three prospects among the Top 20 in the organization. McGuiness and Thomas apparently are out of organized baseball while Mendez is a 27-year-old toiling at Double A. Saltalamacchia peaked at No. 18 on Baseball America's Top 100 prospect list while Swihart peaked at No. 17. At the time of the 2010 trade Saltalamacchia was back down at Triple A, much as Swihart had spent much of his age 25 season at Triple A after being a starter at the MLB level. With Saltalamacchia as his optimistic ceiling, Swihart has limited trade value. https://www.talksox.com/forum/threads/18548-A-Realistic-View-at-2018-Part-II?p=1140378#post1140378

This is Bobby Poyner's eighth appearance this year: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/poynebo01.shtml

The Red Sox traded away two years (and a option) of a left-handed starter who posted 2.6 fWAR in leading the 2015 Sox in starts, innings pitched and wins. Wade Miley's 2016 fWAR of 1.5 would have ranked fourth among pitchers on 2016 AL East champion Red Sox. This year Miley posted a quality start before going on the disabled list. The Red Sox control Carson Smith through 2020 so the Sox have a chance of salvaging something from the trade.

Who will be on the disabled list longer: Carson Smith or Wade Miley? The heralded December 2015 trade may turn into a dud.

The Red Sox tanked enough to get Andrew Benintendi with the No. 7 pick of the 2015 draft and Jay Groome with the No. 12 pick of the 2016 draft (but apparently missed with Trey Ball and the No. 7 pick of the 2013 draft).

https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-5512-8043/furosemide-oral/furosemide-oral/details

Blake Swihart is a year older now than Jarrod Saltalmacchia was in June 2010 when the Texas Rangers traded the switch-hitting catcher to the Red Sox for Chris McGuiness, Roman Mendez, Michael Thomas and cash. SoxProspects has never ranked the three prospects among the Top 20 in the organization. McGuiness and Thomas apparently are out of organized baseball while Mendez is a 27-year-old toiling at Double A. Saltalamacchia peaked at No. 18 on Baseball America's Top 100 prospect list while Swihart peaked at No. 17. At the time of the 2010 trade Saltalamacchia was back down at Triple A, much as Swihart had spent much of his age 25 season at Triple A after being a starter at the MLB level. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2010/07/red-sox-acquire-jarrod-saltalamacchia.html With Saltalamacchia as his optimistic ceiling, Swihart has limited trade value.

The point is that the Orioles would likely receive far better offers for Manny Machado.

Recommended reading: https://www.fangraphs.com/library/misc/war/

Happy Birthday, moonslav. You are the anchor of this forum. For better or worse. Never fear your 60s ... it has been a great decade for me so far. I never imagined my 60s would feel this young.

Matt Bush, the No. 1 pick as a high school shortstop in the 2004 draft, was the antithesis of an analytical darling. Bush was the local San Diego kid who "looked like a ballplayer." Despite a trouble life that has included felony convictions and a prison term, Bush is not selling used cars. Bush made his MLB debut in 2015 as a 30-year-old reliever and has posted a 3.16 ERA (147 ERA+) in 40 MLB appearances with the Texas Rangers. On April 25 the Rangers sent Bush down to Triple A to work on control issues: https://nolanwritin.com/2018/05/11/texas-rangers-update-matt-bush/

Impressive three-inning relief job by recent Toronto call-up Sam Gaviglio, a nearly 28-year-old right-hander out of Oregon State University. I was tempted to drive to Corvallis tonight to watch the third-ranked Beavers, who lead second-ranked Stanford 4-0 after four innings.

I've tempered my expectations for Carson Smith but the big right-hander is throwin' strikes tonight ... until he didn't.

Chances are one will make it big and the other won't ... we just don't know who is who.

How would you proposed upgrading given the Red Sox roster and budget limitations?

Andrew Benintendi may have been overhyped but he is not "easily upgraded."

Joe Ross underwent Tommy John surgery after posting an ERA of 3.95 in 48 appearances, including 45 starts, covering 255.1 innings. New York Mets right-hander Zach Wheeler underwent Tommy John surgery after posting an ERA of 3.50 in 49 appearances, all starts, covering 285.1 innings. Following his TJS, in his first arbitration season, Wheeler settled for an $800,000 salary. In his second turn through arbitration, following a disappointing season, Wheeler settled for a 2018 salary of $1.9 million. I question whether Ross will land a $5 million salary next year in his first arbitration season.