harmony

Providence Journal beat reporter Brian MacPherson writes about Hanley Ramirez and this offseason's class of righthanded hitters: http://www.providencejournal.com/sports/20170128/ramirez-may-be-too-rich-luxury-for-red-sox As a side note, over the past three seasons Hanley Ramirez has an OPS+ of 117 in 380 games while Seattle's Danny Valencia has an OPS+ of 116 in 393 games over the same period. Valencia and Ramirez are defensively challenged righthanded hitters born nine months apart. The slightly younger Valencia has a three-year fWAR of 3.7 while Ramirez has a three-year fWAR of 4.2. ZiPS, FanGraphs Depth Charts, Steamer and Steamer600 project 2017 WAR of 1.4, 0.6, 0.4 and 0.5 for Valencia and 1.8, 2.0, 1.6 and 1.8 for Ramirez. Valencia will earn $5.55 million in his final year of team control while Ramirez will earn $22.75 million in the third year of his four-year contract with a vesting fifth-year option. For the Mariners, Valencia is projected to be on the short end of platoon at first base and back up Kyle Seager at third base: http://www.rosterresource.com/mlb-seattle-mariners/

It's hardly a put-down to write that the Red Sox deserve to be in the conversation about AL favorites. https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/redsox/2017/01/28/red-sox-runaway-east-not-fast/ImKMmhw271PH00Irq5PcOM/story.html I'm excited about the 2017 Seattle Mariners but stop short of writing that the M's deserve to be in the conversation about AL favorites. I am hopeful that things can break the M's way to end the 15-year postseason drought. The Mariners have a better record than the Red Sox over the past three seasons with neither the highs nor the lows the Sox experienced over that period. Last year Seattle had the league's fourth-best run differential, finishing third in runs scored and third in team ERA. The M's were undermined by woeful defense and base-running. The hope is that the additions of Jarrod Dyson, Jean Segura and Mitch Haniger will address those deficiencies. Gone are the days of Seth Smith, Nelson Cruz and Nori Aoki patrolling the expansive Safeco outfield. This could be Seattle's year ... or not. As a Mariner fan I'm no stranger to disappointment.

Steamer600, which assumes 600 plate appearances for each hitter and 65 innings for each reliever, projects 2017 WAR of 0.7 for Mitch Moreland, 0.5 for Tyler Thornburg, 0.9 for Koji Uehara and 0.6 for Junichi Tazawa. David Ortiz posted 4.4 fWAR last year.

Indeed the Red Sox last year scored 101 more runs than they closest American League rival, the Cleveland Guardians (who this offseason added Edwin Encarnacion while the Sox lost David Ortiz). The previous year the Blue Jays scored 127 more runs than their closest American League rival, the New York Yankees. Without losing a David Ortiz-caliber hitter, the Blue Jays in 2016 fell to fifth in the league in scoring. In 2016 the Red Sox received stellar performances from Mookie Betts, Dustin Pedroia, Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley, who posted fWAR pf 7.8, 5.2, 4.8 and 4.7, respectively. These are four great players but I doubt more than one will match or exceed his 2016 fWAR (and the current Steamer, ZiPS and FanGraphs Depth Charts projections support that). Few Red Sox players are projected to regress upward. The Red Sox deserve to be in the conversation of American League favorites but I'm unconvinced that the Sox have made a net improvement over the 2016 AL East champs.

Even with Toronto losing Edwin Encarnacion, no AL East club lost a player who posted the .315/.401/.620/1.021, OPS+ 162 line of David Ortiz last year. Like last offseason the Red Sox made a high-profile splash with the acquisition of an "ace" starter but also lost Koji Uehara, Junichi Tazawa and Clay Buchholz. The Red Sox are in a position to repeat as AL East champs but I question whether the outlook is much brighter.

I rarely watch baseball on television but instead listen to radio broadcasts on a regular basis because radio does not command most of my attention. Growing up in the Midwest in the 1960s I did not have radio broadcasts of my favorite team so I checked the box scores in the newspaper each morning. I would get the West Coast scores a day-and-a-half late.

I would not have minded if my Mariners had signed Kyle Kendrick, a Seattle-area product, to a minor league contract to provide rotation depth. Behind the current projected starting five, the Mariners have 28-year-old lefthander Ariel Miranda, who posted an ERA of 3.44 in 10 starts last year; nearly 29-year-old righthander Chris Heston, who two years ago posted an ERA of 3.95 in 31 starts, including a no-hitter; and nearly 23-year-old righthander Rob Whalen, who last year was roughed up in five MLB starts after five solid years in the minors.

Steamer600, which assumes 450 plate appearances for each catcher, projects 2017 WAR of 1.6 for Christian Vazquez, 1.6 for Sandy Leon and 1.4 for Blake Swihart: http://www.fangraphs.com/projections.aspx?pos=c&stats=bat&type=steamer600&team=3&lg=all&players=0&sort=27,d

The Red Sox add nine non-roster invitees to Spring Training camp:

The Red Sox sign right-hander Kyle Kendrick to a minor league deal presumably for rotation depth: http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/01/red-sox-sign-kyle-kendrick-to-minor-league-deal.html Every team needs to take chances to deepen the rotation.

Mitch Haniger and Andrew Benintendi each remain under team control for six seasons (assuming neither spends much time in the minors). Age seasons are typically calculated on July 1 so Benintendi turns 28 on July 6 of his age 27 season and becomes a free agent at the end of that season (barring an interruption of his MLB service time).

Andrew Benintendi joins Mariner catcher Mike Zunino and Seattle outfield prospect Kyle Lewis in "winning the 'Heisman equivalent of college baseball' and being ranked within the top 50 of the top 100." http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/college-player-of-the-year-lewis-powers-away-from-field/#xfe4816V7Mq6A3ev.97 http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2016?list=prospects The age difference between Benintendi and Mitch Haniger is also notable in that the Red Sox will control Benintendi for his age 22-27 seasons (through his 28th birthday) while the Mariners control Haniger for his age 26-31 seasons (assuming each spends little or no more time in the minors). Haniger reminds me of Jason Bay and Steven Souza at similar ages and stages of development. Haniger's production may fall somewhere in between ... or not. Here is another FanGraphs piece on Haniger: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/was-the-jean-segura-trade-really-the-mitch-haniger-trade/

ZiPS projects Steven Wright with a 2017 WAR of 2.0 in 122 innings: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/2017-zips-projections-boston-red-sox/

A Beyond the Box Score columnist looks at the Red Sox catching situation: http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2017/1/16/14268322/red-sox-catcher-blake-swihart-christian-vazquez-sandy-leon

Steamer600, which assumes 200 innings for each starting pitcher, projects Steven Wright with a 2017 WAR of 2.0: http://www.fangraphs.com/projections.aspx?pos=all&stats=pit&type=steamer600&team=3&lg=all&players=0&sort=19,d

That should be an easy question for most posters to research. FanGraphs Depth Charts project a combined 2017 outfield WAR of 11.1 for the Red Sox and 5.9 for the Seattle Mariners. FanGraphs Depth Charts project a combined 2017 infield/catcher WAR of 13.7 for the Red Sox and 14.1 for the Seattle Mariners. FanGraphs Depth Charts project a 2017 designated hitter WAR of 1.4 for the Red Sox and 2.0 for the Seattle Mariners. Overall, FanGraphs Depth Charts project a 2017 WAR of 46.8 for the Red Sox and 39.5 for the Seattle Mariners. http://www.fangraphs.com/depthcharts.aspx?position=ALL&teamid=3 I would note that FanGraphs Depth Charts project a combined 2017 WAR of 11.7 for Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz, Kyle Seager and Jean Segura, who last year combined for 20.7 fWAR. Regression is likely but the degree of regression is a topic for debate.

Pardon this Seattle fan who can't stop comparing Red Sox and Mariner players. FanGraphs Depth Charts projects 2017 WAR of 1.6 in 560 plate appearances for rookie Andrew Benintendi and 1.7 in 525 plate appearances for rookie Seattle outfielder Mitch Haniger. Steamer projects 2017 WAR of 1.4 in 518 plate appearances for Benintendi and 1.4 in 440 plate appearances for Haniger. ZiPS projects 2017 WAR of 2.2 in 535 plate appearances for Benintendi and 1.9 in 517 plate appearances for Haniger. Steamer600, which assumes 600 plate appearances for each hitter, projects 2017 WAR of 1.6 for Benintendi and 1.9 for Haniger. It should be interesting to see how each rookie develops.

Could/should the Red Sox target lefthander Craig Breslow? http://www.gammonsdaily.com/peter-gammons-ten-thoughts-when-not-slipping-on-black-ice/ Breslow has an upcoming showcase, according to columnist Peter Gammons.

Mookie Betts, the Green Monster and home runs: http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2017/1/15/14276408/statcast-average-expected-home-run-percentage-bautista-betts-kepler-dozier Scroll down.

To elaborate: "Price added that last year was the first time he didn't have fun on the field during his career." http://www.masslive.com/redsox/index.ssf/2017/01/david_price_boston_red_sox_lhp_1.html#incart_river_index https://www.bostonglobe.com/sports/redsox/2017/01/13/david-price-has-doubt-can-succeed-boston/NDaBB3sqD7I5WLFUJ0hpVN/story.html

Pablo Sandoval gives cryotherapy a try: http://www.masslive.com/redsox/index.ssf/2017/01/pablo_sandoval_boston_red_sox_11.html#incart_river_index

Drew Pomeranz ($5.7 million) and the Red Sox ($3.6 million) have the widest difference in arbitration filings among those listed by MLB Trade Rumors at 8:10 pm EST: http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2017/01/2017-arbitration-filing-numbers.html MLB Trade Rumors had projected Pomeranz with a 2017 arbitration salary of $4.7 million. Lefthander Fernando Abad filed at $2.7 million and the Red Sox at $2 million. MLBTR projected the latter figure. Agreements include Xander Bogaerts $4.5 million, Jackie Bradley $3.6 million, Joe Kelly $2.8 million, Tyler Thornburg $2.05 million, Brock Holt $1.95 million, Robbie Ross $1.82 million and Sandy Leon $1.3 million:

IMHO moonslav59 -- and all posters -- deserve to be treated with respect regardless of our differences.

Seattle GM Jerry Dipoto has been busy, making 36 trades in 15 months at the helm, including 11 trades this offseason. I like that Dipoto has a plan and has executed it. I'm content to see how it plays out. Nothing is guaranteed as outcomes could range from a last-place finish to a World Series title. http://www.rosterresource.com/mlb-seattle-mariners/ Dipoto shares a trait with Boston GM Dave Dombrowski in that neither hoards prospects. Of course, Dombrowski had more to work with in the Red Sox farm system. Dipoto worked with Dombrowski in the Boston front office for about six weeks before taking the Seattle job in late September 2015. Seattle coughed up four prospects -- lefthanders Luiz Gohara, Ryan Yarbrough and Thomas Burrows, and infielder Carlos Vargas -- for two years of lefthander Drew Smyly (whose value I've compared to that of Drew Pomeranz) and four years of reliever Shae Simmons. The trade costs of Smyly and Pomeranz contrast quantity and quality if prospect rankings mean anything. Smyly and Pomeranz are projected with 2017 WAR of 2.5 and 2.0, respectively.

I agree. What can the Red Sox do about pitching depth? In the end I'm glad my Mariners set their sights higher than Clay Buchholz.