harmony

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.

http://www.overthemonster.com/2017/1/11/14237054/red-sox-miss-out-on-trevor-plouffe

As a practical matter, it doesn't make a ton of sense for team to designate a pitcher as its No. 5 starter. A club needs three or four pitchers who can take the mound every fifth day but beyond that a mix is the typical result, whether planned or not. Because of days off in the first week of the season the so-called fifth starter often is not needed until mid-April. If I'm not mistaken, only one team -- the 2003 Seattle Mariners -- made it through an entire season with only a five-man rotation. http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/SEA/2003.shtml That Seattle team won 93 games but missed the postseason in those days before a second Wild Card slot.

Are rowing and rhythmic gymnastics sports? My children have exposed me to previously unfamiliar athletic endeavors.

After my initial surprise with the Mitch Moreland signing, I've come to understand the decision. The Red Sox should be run-producers and an upgrade in defense was more important. The budgetary difference between signing Moreland at $5.5 million and trading Clay Buchholz at $13.5 million for Seth Smith at $7 million was $1.5 million (less whatever Josh Tobias earns). For what it's worth, FanGraphs Depth Charts project Moreland with a 2017 WAR of 0.7 in 525 plate appearances and Smith with a 2017 WAR of 1.5 in 490 plate appearances: http://www.fangraphs.com/depthcharts.aspx?position=ALL&teamid=3#ALL http://www.fangraphs.com/depthcharts.aspx?position=ALL&teamid=2#ALL

Seth Smith has a career wRC+ of 112 after posting 113 in 2015 and 110 in 2016 with a 2017 projection of 113. No steep decline in his hitting (although Seattle fans would contend his defense has fallen off steeply). A steep decline would be Mitch Moreland's wRC+ drop from 117 in 2015 to 87 in 2016 although Moreland is projected to rebound to a 2017 wRC+ of 96. Most projections take into account the aging curve for these players separated by only three years in age.

Nor is it unreasonable to expect a big uptick from Seth Smith as he plays half his games at Camden Yards.

Seth Smith has a career OPS+ of 112 with a projected 2017 wRC+ of 113, while Mitch Moreland has a career OPS+ of 100 with a projected 2017 wRC+ of 96. That's quite a gap.

I thought the Red Sox might like the high on-base percentage of Seth Smith, who sees a ton of pitches, in a platoon at DH with Chris Young. The platoon would have required that Hanley Ramirez be pretty much a full-time first baseman. I initially was surprised that the Sox went with the low on-base percentage of Mitch Moreland although I appreciate Moreland's vastly superior defensive skills. I am still obsessed with Seattle's continuing search for another starting pitcher. Drew Smyly, Alex Cobb, Scott Kazmir, Brandon McCarthy, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Matt Garza, Patrick Corbin and Michael Wacha are rumored trade targets with free agents Jason Hammel, Tyson Ross, Brett Anderson and others still available.

Mickey Lolich was MVP of the 1968 World Series (and a graduate of my daughters' high school).

I'm not a huge fan of Clay Buchholz, but I would have preferred one year of Buchholz to one year of Yovani Gallardo. Since the Taijuan Walker trade I've been obsessed with how the Mariners would fill out their starting rotation. I considered scores of trade targets and probably floated a dozen trade proposals on various websites. Gallardo and Baltimore teammate Ubaldo Jimenez never made my cut of starters Seattle should pursue (although Wade Miley did). Perhaps I rely too heavily on 2017 WAR projections that have Gallardo at 0.9, Seth Smith at 1.2 and Buchholz at 1.6. For the time being, Gallardo will replace traded Seattle starter Nate Karns, whose 2017 WAR projection of 1.7 was optimistic. On Friday, the Mariners dealt Karns for Kansas City outfielder Jarrod Dyson. I disliked each trade viewed in isolation but the combination might make sense: Seth Smith Nate Karns for Jarrod Dyson Yovani Gallardo The Mariners hope to improve their struggling pitching by upgrading the outfield defense with Dyson, Mitch Haniger and Leonys Martin. Seattle reportedly remains in the market for another veteran starting pitcher. GM Jerry Dipoto now has made 34 trades in his 15 months at the helm.

This tea drinker prefers the smell of coffee to the taste of coffee, but I'll sip an occasional java. Except on my current diet, I'm an ice cream fiend whose favorite flavor by far is coffee or its variations.

One source does not show the Red Sox as the American League favorites, much less prohibitive favorites: http://www.fangraphs.com/depthcharts.aspx?position=ALL&teamid=3 https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prohibitive On the right column.

A White Sox blogger offers a different third-base solution for the San Francisco Giants: http://southsideshowdown.com/2017/01/04/white-sox-potential-trade-todd-frazier/