harmony

David Price is not the first high-profile patient for Dr. James Andrews, who had this to say about HIPAA: "With professionals it gets even more complicated, because you've still got the patient and the mother to worry about -- I don't care how old they are -- but also the agents, the team doctor, the trainer, the physical therapist, the coach, management. And the most difficult, nowadays, is the press. The press has no idea about HIPAA laws -- about violating confidentiality. And if you don't handle it properly, they'll just say whatever they want to say. So it just gets more complicated as you go up the ladder." http://www.vox.com/2014/6/13/5803496/an-interview-with-dr-james-andrews-the-man-whos-operated-on-all-your

I for one have never suggested that David Price or John Farrell was lying. I've read second-hand information that gives a positive spin to the injury. Farrell called the post-visit report the "best-case scenario." I was puzzled that having your $210 million starter on the shelf for seven to 10 days would be the "best-case scenario." The best-case scenario would be that the injury was a false alarm, a pinched nerve remedied by two hours of physical therapy, with Price expected to make his next scheduled start. The seven-to-10 days report could well be the better-case scenario in that the report would be better than an immediate need for Tommy John surgery. Let's hope this episode will be long-forgotten in September (or October) as Price concludes a successful season.

Dr. Andrews remains restricted by the confidentiality provisions of HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996). I hope David Price returns in full strength in time to make a few strong Spring Training starts.

Physicians almost certainly give my mother-in-law and her adult children accurate information. The problem lies in how the adult children relay that information to third parties ... not because they're lying but because the information is complex. I'm not suggesting that Dr. James Andrews has communicated inaccurate information to David Price. I'm simply suggesting the message may lose its precision as it passes through each intermediary.

Peace be with you, my friend. I don't wish to upset anyone.

A good point in the middle of the post.

John Farrell and David Price apparently can't get on the same page. Farrell gave a timetable of seven to 10 days: http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/red_sox/2017/03/red_sox_notebook_no_surgery_necessary_for_david_price ... before Price told everyone to "disregard" the seven to 10 days: http://www.csnne.com/boston-red-sox/price-disregard-7-10-day-timetable-about-return Inaccurate information does not necessarily imply lying, which is the conscious decision to communicate a falsehood. My ailing mother-in-law has four loving adult children who take turns transporting her to medical appointments. The information brought back from each visit can vary widely, not because the sibling is lying, but because the medical information is complicated. My mother-in-law wishes my wife, a physician, could accompany her for each appointment but that is not practical because they live 1,000 miles apart. Nevertheless my wife has grilled many doctors over the phone.

Does anyone have a link to a direct quote from Dr. James Andrews (or Dr. Neil ElAttrache) regarding David Price's condition? I have not seen a comment directly attributed to Dr. Andrews, who must get authorization from Price to release otherwise confidential medical information. The information I've read has been filtered through manager John Farrell and Price, who may or may not put a particular spin on the lefthander's condition. http://www.csnne.com/boston-red-sox/price-disregard-7-10-day-timetable-about-return

As usual, Kimmi appears to be correct: http://m.mlb.com/glossary/transactions/non-guaranteed-contract

And despite that a year ago Forbes valued the Mets at $1.65 billion and the Dodgers at $2.5 billion: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbespr/2016/03/23/forbes-releases-19th-annual-mlb-team-valuations/#78b6a21920af ... up from $604 million and $482 million 10 years earlier: https://www.forbes.com/2006/04/17/06mlb_baseball_valuations_land.html

I am grateful for the employers I've had over the past 47 years, including my current employer of 20+ years. I've been fairly compensated with increases in good times and an occasional decrease in rough times. I'd like to think that my employers have been grateful for my contributions as well.

In an industry largely exempt from antitrust laws, MLB teams that perform poorly are often wildly profitable. http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2008/12/3/678134/the-history-of-baseball-s In an economy in which business ventures frequently fail, no MLB franchise is in danger of folding.

Could that describe an employer as well?

Under Article VI, Section E(4) of the previous MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement, "Upon submission of the salary issue to arbitration by either Player or Club, the Player shall be regarded as a signed Player." http://mlb.mlb.com/pa/pdf/cba_english.pdf An even earlier CBA permitted a club to cut without pay a free agent who had agreed to arbitration. The issue was discussed following the 2008 season when free agent Jason Varitek declined arbitration. Then again, I could be wrong ... I don't have the text of the current MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Thanks for the correction. I can't cite the authority but I think the salary is guaranteed.

That's not how the system works. After losing his arbitration case, perhaps Fernando Abad doesn't care whether he returns to the Red Sox. The lefthander may prefer a minor league deal with another club over the $2 million with the Sox.

In 2015 lefthander Eduardo Rodriguez posted quality starts in 13 of 21 starts: http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=rodried05&t=p&year=2015 Rodriguez has a career ERA of 4.25 and a career ERA+ of 104 in 41 starts. FanGraphs Depth Charts, Steamer and ZiPS projects Rodriguez with 2017 WAR of 1.8 in 139 innings, 1.6 in 136 innings and 2.1 in 146.2 innings: http://www.fangraphs.com/statss.aspx?playerid=13164&position=P

According to MassLive, Boston manager John Farrell hints that Fernando Abad's participation in the World Baseball Classic may hurt the lefthander's chances of making the Red Sox roster: http://www.masslive.com/redsox/index.ssf/2017/03/is_fernando_abad_jeopardizing.html

If I had to join one poster from this forum's motley crew to watch baseball, I would choose the gentle soul of Kimmi.

I wish David Price a speedy recovery but manager John Farrell's statement merely said the lefthander would be re-evaluated after 7 to 10 days of treatment: https://twitter.com/PeteAbe/status/837783159655784452/photo/1 Farrell called it a "best-case scenario" although the best-case scenario would be something like it was a false alarm, a pinched nerve remedied by two hours of physical therapy with Price expected to make his scheduled start on Sunday. The Red Sox would be in a more comfortable position if David Price's contract had the John Lackey clause that granted an extra year of team control at minimal salary in the event of a season-ending injury. Seattle righthander Felix Hernandez, who is younger than Price, has that clause in his current seven-year contract: http://www.lookoutlanding.com/2013/2/11/3976794/felix-hernandez-seattle-mariners-contract-extension-elbow-injury Hernandez has at least three years remaining on his contract coming off two down seasons. But again let's hope Price comes back strong this year.

Today's news was good news indeed. Nevertheless I would stop short of calling it "tremendous" news, that "it's safe to say the team avoided disaster" or to state definitively that "the Big Three remains intact": http://www.overthemonster.com/2017/3/3/14808892/david-price-injury-no-surgery-exhale ... although I hope all those assertions prove to be true.

I wish David Price a speedy recovery but I'm trying to distinguish today's news from this Red Sox news of last March: https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/2016/03/22/red-sox-reliever-carson-smith-get-more-tests-forearm/9Brp2oFNmaX3T2PoNhsXHM/story.html But again I hope the issue is minor and that Price performs well throughout the remaining years of his Red Sox contract.

The White Sox have requested waivers on infielder Brett Lawrie: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/03/whitesox-release-brett-lawrie.html Lawrie is only 27 years old but I'm not sure what he has left.

Regardless of David Price's plight, the Red Sox should probably add to the starter-depth dog pile that currently includes Kyle Kendrick, Brian Johnson, Roenis Elias and Henry Owens. Spreading the risk across eight sub-starters is probably wiser than spreading the risk across only those four. This week Seattle GM Jerry Dipoto made his 40th trade to acquire more rotation depth in 23-year-old righthander Chase De Jong, the 2016 Texas League Pitcher of the Year. De Jong joins Chris Heston, Rob Whalen, Dillon Overton and Max Povse as rotation depth acquired this offseason to complement Ariel Miranda, Cody Martin and Andrew Moore. I think of Miranda as a poor man's Eduardo Rodriguez or a rich man's Roenis Elias. Like Rodriguez, Miranda was a southpaw dealt by the Baltimore Orioles at a trade deadline. Like Elias, Miranda is a 28-year-old Cuban lefthander. Miranda finished the 2016 season in the Seattle rotation with an ERA of 3.54 in 11 appearances, including 10 starts, and has looked strong in two Spring Training starts. The lefty is likely to be the first option if a member of Seattle's five-man rotation falters. Which could happen. Felix Hernandez, James Paxton, Hisashi Iwakuma, Drew Smyly and Yovani Gallardo come with varying degrees of injury concerns. A year ago Seattle traded for two American League East starters -- Wade Miley and Nate Karns -- with disappointing results. Nonplussed, this offseason the Mariners traded for two more AL East starters -- Smyly and Gallardo -- with hopes of better results. I apologize for going off on a tangent. After writing the post above I read this Seattle Times piece quoting the Mariner GM about the new acquisition, Chase De Jong: http://www.seattletimes.com/sports/mariners/after-the-initial-shock-of-being-traded-right-hander-chase-de-jong-is-excited-to-join-the-mariners/

Seattle shortstop Jean Segura replaces Hanley Ramirez on the Dominican roster: http://m.mlb.com/news/article/217666870/jean-segura-added-to-dr-roster-for-2017-wbc/ The Mariners perhaps have the most to lose with their players in the World Baseball Classic: http://sports.mynorthwest.com/247363/the-mariners-lose-another-to-the-wbc-what-this-means/ Seattle's 2-3-4 hitters -- Jean Segura, Robinson Cano and Nelson Cruz, who last year combined for 15.2 fWAR -- will be teammates for the Dominican Republic. The Mariners will send three-fifths of their starting rotation: Felix Hernandez (Venezuela), Drew Smyly (United States) and Yovani Gallardo (Mexico). Shutdown closer Edwin Diaz is on the Puerto Rico roster. Of course, injuries could happen in Spring Training as well as in the World Baseball Classic.