harmony

The Arizona Diamondbacks won only 84 regular-season games en route to a berth in the 2023 World Series: https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/ARI/2023.shtml The 2021 Atlanta Braves won the World Series after only 88 regular-season wins; the 2022 Philadelphia Phillies advanced to the World Series with only 87 victoties in the regular season.

Would anyone swap the left-handed bat of Marcelo Mayer, the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 draft, for the right-handed bat of Arizona's Jordan Lawlar, the No. 6 overall pick in that draft? https://www.fangraphs.com/players/marcelo-mayer/29668/stats/batting#zips-3-year-projections https://www.fangraphs.com/players/jordan-lawlar/29976/stats/batting#zips-3-year-projections Mayer and Lawlar were drafted as shortstops but Lawlar, who is five months older than Mayer, has played in the outfield exclusively this season. Lawlar is on a rehab assignment at Triple A Reno.

From another thread: Per MLB Trade Rumors, the Red Sox are exploring the trade market for a right-handed bat while the Arizona Diamondbacks are exploring the market for a left-handed bat: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/06/red-sox-trade-rumors-right-handed-bat-eat-money-salary.html https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/06/diamondbacks-trade-rumors-left-handed-bat-first-base-dh.html Would either side be interested in a trade of lefthand-hitting Masataka Yoshida for righthand-hitting Lourdes Gurriel Jr., two 32-year-old hitters with MLB career wRC+ of 108 each? According to Spotrac, Yoshida has guaranteed salaries of $18.6 million for 2026 and 2027 while Gurriel had a 2026 salary of $14 million and a 2027 club option for $14 million. This season Yoshida has posted a negative 0.1 fWAR and a wRC+ of 96 in 43 games while Gurriel, who is currently on the injured list, has slumped to a negative 0.4 fWAR and a wRC+of 65 in 25 games. Before the season FanGraphs projected Yoshida with 0.4 fWAR and a wRC+ of 111 in 40 games while projecting Gurriel with 1.1 fWAR and a wRC+ of 106 in 110 games. The ZiPS three-year 2026-28 projections had Yoshida with 1.1 fWAR in 282 games and Gurriel with 2.3 fWAR in 346 games. https://www.fangraphs.com/players/masataka-yoshida/31837/stats/batting#zips-3-year-projections https://www.fangraphs.com/players/lourdes-gurriel-jr/19238/stats/batting#zips-3-year-projections Since his arrival in 2023, Yoshida has posted 3.2 bWAR and 1.5 fWAR in 346 games while over the same period Gurriel has posted 5.1 bWAR and 4.4 fWAR in 432 games. Gurriel, who played five seasons in the AL East, has posted a .322/.358/.458/816 line in 190 plate appearances at Fenway Park. Buying low on Gurriel would save the significant payroll. Thoughts?

Per MLB Trade Rumors, the Red Sox are exploring the trade market for a right-handed bat while the Arizona Diamondbacks are exploring the market for a left-handed bat: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/06/red-sox-trade-rumors-right-handed-bat-eat-money-salary.html https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2026/06/diamondbacks-trade-rumors-left-handed-bat-first-base-dh.html Would either side be interested in a trade of lefthand-hitting Masataka Yoshida for righthand-hitting Lourdes Gurriel Jr., two 32-year-old hitters with MLB career wRC+ of 108 each? According to Spotrac, Yoshida has guaranteed salaries of $18.6 million for 2026 and 2027 while Gurriel had a 2026 salary of $14 million and a 2027 club option for $14 million. This season Yoshida has posted a negative 0.1 fWAR and a wRC+ of 96 in 43 games while Gurriel, who is currently on the injured list, has slumped to a negative 0.4 fWAR and a wRC+of 65 in 25 games. Before the season FanGraphs projected Yoshida with 0.4 fWAR and a wRC+ of 111 in 40 games while projecting Gurriel with 1.1 fWAR and a wRC+ of 106 in 110 games. The ZiPS three-year 2026-28 projections had Yoshida with 1.1 fWAR in 282 games and Gurriel with 2.3 fWAR in 346 games. https://www.fangraphs.com/players/masataka-yoshida/31837/stats/batting#zips-3-year-projections https://www.fangraphs.com/players/lourdes-gurriel-jr/19238/stats/batting#zips-3-year-projections Buying low on Gurriel would save the significant payroll. Thoughts?

A San Francisco blogger lists Casey Schmitt as the Giants' top trade chip: https://www.mccoveychronicles.com/san-francisco-giants-analysis/107269/the-san-francisco-giants-top-10-trade-chips-2026-mlb-trade-deadline

The Red Sox reportedly have the fewest home runs at home this season with 17 roundtrippers. The Seattle Mariners have the most home runs at home with 50 after another Wednesday afternoon. How times have changed.

Source? https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/chase-meidroth-805367?stats=statcast-r-hitting-mlb https://baseballsavant.mlb.com/savant-player/marcelo-mayer-691785?stats=statcast-r-hitting-mlb

The floors for Kristian Campbell and Marcelo Mayer are more concerning. This year in 47 games at Triple A, Campbell has posted a wRC+ of 89 (despite a .349 BABIP), striking out in 30.3 percent of his plate appearances. In 54 games with the Red Sox this season, Mayer has posted a wRC+ of 61.

The ZiPS three-year projections have Chase Meidroth with 5.3 fWAR in 389 games, Kristian Campbell with 4.6 fWAR in 417 games and Marcelo Mayer with 2.5 fWAR in 284 games. https://www.fangraphs.com/players/chase-meidroth/31580/stats/batting#zips-3-year-projections https://www.fangraphs.com/players/kristian-campbell/33644/stats/batting#zips-3-year-projections https://www.fangraphs.com/players/marcelo-mayer/29668/stats/batting#zips-3-year-projections Meidroth is a year older than Campbell who is six months older than Mayer. The prospect sheen of Campbell and Mayer may be wearing off.

In response to this thread, the initial question was whether there was any interest in Rob Refsyder. Thank you for your opinion.

It’s considered buying low instead of paying a premium for player experiencing a highly productive season.

Masataka Yoshida would represent an expensive downgrade from current Mariners at Yoshida's positions. 2026 OPS+ (PA) through Friday's games: Masataka Yoshida 99 OPS+ (109 PA) Dominic Canzone 121 OPS+ (119 PA) Luke Raley 149 OPS+ (137 PA) Randy Arozarena 149 OP+ (218 PA) Julio Rodriguez 117 OPS+ (226 PA) Yoshida has $30 million remaining on his contract, including $18 million in 2027. His closest Seattle roster comps are Raley, who has a 2026 salary of $2.05 million and two more years of team control, and Canzone, who earns the league minimum this season with three more years of team control.

Any interest in righthand-hitting outfielder Rob Refsnyder, who posted an OPS+ of 125 in 936 plate appearances with the Red Sox 2022-25? The Seattle Mariners could make Refsnyder expendable.😉

Defensively, the Red Sox are the class of the American League: https://www.fangraphs.com/leaders/major-league?pos=all&stats=fld&lg=al&qual=0&type=1&season=2026&season1=2026&ind=0&team=0%2Cts&rost=&age=&filter=&players=0&startdate=&enddate=&month=0

Right-hander Bryce Miller forced his way into Seattle's six-man rotation with his 2026 debut Wednesday, surrendering two runs and eight hits over 5,1 innings in Houston. Would the Mariners make available veteran right-hander Luis Castillo, who has been ineffective this season despite a win Thursday over the Astros? Castillo, who has an annual salary of $24.15 million through 2027, might be headed to the Seattle bullpen. Like most clubs, the Mariners need starting pitching depth. Next up might be left-hander Kade Anderson, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 MLB draft. Anderson has a 0,60 ERA, 47 strikeouts and five walks in 30 innings over six starts with the Arkansas Travelers of the Double A Texas League. Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, Bryan Woo and Bryce Miller combined for only two Triple A starts before making MLB debuts. OK ... never mind.🙂

Today the Seattle Mariners activated 3B Brendan Donovan from the 10-day injured list. https://www.mlb.com/mariners/roster/transactions

Let's revisit a February forum discussion after Tampa Bay second baseman Ben Williamson went 2-for-4 with a walk, two runs and one RBI in the Rays' win over the Red Sox on Thursday. At the time, the debate was whether a Boston package of Marcelo Mayer and Kyson Witherspoon was comparable to Seattle's trade of Williamson and Jurrangelo Cijntje for St. Louis infielder Brendan Donovan. Williamson and Mayer have each played 33 games this season, with Williamson posting 0.3 bWAR (0.1 fWAR) and an OPS+ 91 (92 wRC+) while Mayer has posted 0.2 bWAR (0.3 fWAR) and an OPS+ of 86 (81 wRC+). The small samples are not particularly significant but the numbers are generally in line with projections from multiple sources. FWIW, Cijntje has posted an ERA of 5.74 in six starts with Springfield of the Double A Texas League while Witherspoon has posted an ERA of 7.06 in six starts with Greenville of the High A South Atlantic League. Cijntje and Witherspoon were the No. 15 overall draft picks in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

An interesting comp for Marcelo Mayer might be Seattle second baseman Cole Young, who had 1,473 plate appearances at the minor league level. Injuries limited Mayer's plate appearances over five minor league seasons while Young, who is seven months younger than Mayer, played in only four seasons in the minors. Mayer and Young were first-round picks as lefthand-hitting shortstops out of high school in 2021 and 2022 although they are now starting second basemen for American League clubs expected to contend in 2026. Mayer made his MLB debut in May 2025 one week before Young made his MLB debut. Last year Mayer posted an OPS+ of 87 and 0.2 bWAR in 44 games before an injury ended his season while Young posted an OPS+ of 76 and 0.5 bWAR in 77 games. This year Mayer has posted an OPS+ of 97 and 0.2 bWAR in 27 games while Young has posted an OPS+ of 124 and 1.8 bWAR in 32 games. Young, who leads the league in Defensive Runs Saved, is on pace for an unlikely 9 bWAR season. Seattle shortstop J.P. Crawford is expected to test free agency after this season but Young is likely to remain at second base as top prospect Colt Emerson is projected to take over at shortstop in 2027.

As of Tuesday morning, Baseball Reference gave the Red Sox a 62.3 percent chance of advancing to the postseason, projecting the Sox in a Wild Card slot: https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/majors/2026-playoff-odds.shtml

FWIW so far this season Ketel Marte has posted a .184/.262/.316/.578 in 42 plate appearances for an OPS+ of 62: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/marteke01.shtml It's early.

The Red Sox might be in contention come September.

The Red Sox should be in contention come September.

The Red Sox should be in contention come September.

Last year en route to 97 regular-season wins, a division title and a postseason series victory, the Milwaukee Brewers opened the season 0-4, being outscored 47-15 in those four games. https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/MIL/2025-schedule-scores.shtml Despite the slow start, FanGraphs still gives the Red Sox a 47.8 percent chance of advancing to the postseason. https://www.fangraphs.com/standings/playoff-odds/fg/div It's early.

The Red Sox should be in contention come September.