harmony

The comments at BTV share your sentiments: https://www.baseballtradevalues.com/trades/trade-114286/

Taijuan Walker signed with the Philadelphia Phillies: Taijuan Walker, Phillies agree to four-year deal WWW.MLB.COM The Phillies on Friday announced they've signed right-hander Taijuan Walker to a four-year deal. Terms of the contract were not announced, but a source told MLB.com it's for $72 million. To make room for Walker on the club’s 40-man roster, right-hander Tayler Scott was designated for assignment. Walker, 30, will

In terms of age and prospect grade at MLB Prospects, righthander Bryan Mata would be the comp: Red Sox Top Prospects | MLB.com WWW.MLB.COM The Official Site of Major League Baseball Athletics Top Prospects | MLB.com WWW.MLB.COM The Official Site of Major League Baseball In terms of position and prospect grade, Miguel Bleis: Red Sox Top Prospects | MLB.com WWW.MLB.COM The Official Site of Major League Baseball

From Sunday's MLB Trade Rumors chat with Mark Polishuk: https://live.jotcast.com/chat/mlbtr-live-chat-14579.html

Columnist Rob Bradford at WEEI reports that Nathan Eovaldi is not a priority for the Red Sox: https://www.audacy.com/weei/sports/red-sox/other-teams-showing-more-interest-than-red-sox-in-eovaldi?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Under the new CBA the compensatory draft pick for Nathan Eovaldi would come after the fourth round. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/11/which-draft-picks-each-team-would-receive-for-losing-a-qualified-free-agent.html

F The qualifying offer should depress the market for Nathan Eovaldi.

Chris Cotillo at MassLive.com spoke with Chaim Bloom about the departure of Xander Bogaerts: https://www.masslive.com/redsox/2022/12/red-soxs-chaim-bloom-on-losing-xander-bogaerts-it-got-to-a-point-to-we-werent-going-to.html

Fans who don't understand projections should probably ignore them.

J.D. Martinez remains available: This source has not earned credibility.

Michael Conforto and Brandon Nimmo, born the same month, have played their entire MLB careers with the Mets, including six seasons as teammates in the Queens. Conforto, who did not play this year, has played 757 MLB games and Nimmo 608 games. Their career lines: BN 608 G, .269/.385/.441/.827, OPS+ 130, 17.2 bWAR MC 757 G, .255/.356/.468/.824, OPS+ 124, 15.7 bWAR Nimmo has about four times as many plate appearances as Conforto has at the top of the order, but here are their career lines as leadoff hitters: BN 1675 PA, .273/.380/.450/.829, tOPS+* 100 MC 414 PA, .258/.379/.504/.884, tOPS+* 114 Nimmo is projected to land a nine-figure contract while Conforto may need to settle for a one-year pillow contract. Of course, Conforto may be broken after undergoing shoulder surgery. Conforto's agent, Scott Boras, might tell teams otherwise. * tOPS+ -- OPS for split relative to Player's Total OPS. Above 100 is good; below 100 is bad.

With the signing of Xander Bogaerts Spotrac has the San Diego Padres' competitive balance tax payroll at $233,442,959: https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/san-diego-padres/payroll/ The competitive balance tax threshold is $233,000,000.

From a Pinstripe Alley blogger minutes before Kenley Jansen reportedly reached a deal with the Red Sox: https://www.pinstripealley.com/2022/12/7/23497672/kenley-jansen-yankees-free-agent-target-atlanta-braves-brian-cashman

With the reported signings of Kenley Jansen and Masataka Yoshida, Sportrac estimates the 2023 Red Sox tax payroll at $192.459 million: https://www.spotrac.com/mlb/boston-red-sox/payroll/ Will the Red Sox sign Xander Bogaerts and a starting pitcher such as Kodai Senga? Or will the Sox look elsewhere?

Chaim Bloom and staff had a busy day. The Red Sox roster looks better than it did at sunrise.

Any interest in nearly 30-year-old Minnesota right fielder Max Kepler, a plus defender who is owed $8.5 million in 2023 with a $10 million team option, or $1 million buyout, for 2024? The Twins reportedly are shopping Kepler (whose warts differ from Joey Gallo's in that Kepler's strikeout rate is lower than the league average). https://www.fangraphs.com/players/max-kepler/12144/stats?position=OF Baseball Trade Values assigns Kepler a modest surplus value of $5.8 million: https://www.baseballtradevalues.com/players/8620/

The June 2023 draft order is taking shape subject to compensation for free agents who were given qualifying offers: 2023 MLB Draft Order | MLB.com WWW.MLB.COM Complete order for the 2022 MLB Draft

Jose Quintana may have preferred a likelier contender.

MLB Trade Rumors had projected Kenley Jansen with a two-year, $26 million contract so the reported deal is in line with this offseason's inflated figures. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/11/mlb-trade-rumors-top-50-free-agents-predictions-2022-23.html

Chalk it up as an upgrade to the Red Sox bullpen.

A Seattle blogger mentions Alex Verdugo and Bobby Dalbec as potential Mariner trade targets: https://www.lookoutlanding.com/2022/12/6/23493044/mariners-trade-targets-2023-offseason-the-crows-nest-patching-the-hull No thanks.

Criticisms will fill Seattle forums if the Mariners' rumored signing of free agent Wil Myers becomes official. Is it better for front office executives to just sit on their hands during the winter meetings?

Some projections on Chris Flexen are bearish apparently because of weak peripherals this year: https://www.fangraphs.com/players/chris-flexen/13896/stats?position=P ... but another is not: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/flexech01.shtml

Compare the stats over the past two seasons for righthanders Jameson Taillon, Taijuan Walker and Chris Flexen: JT 321.2 IP, 4.08 ERA, 100 ERA+, 4.2 fWAR, 3.5 bWAR TW 316.2 IP, 3.98 ERA, 99 ERA+, 3.9 fWAR, 3.1 bWAR CF 317.2 IP, 3.66 ERA, 108 ERA+, 3.7 fWAR, 4.7 bWAR The Seattle Mariners reportedly are shopping Flexen, who is two years younger than Walker and two-and-a-half years younger than Taillon. Flexen lost some luster in August when Luis Castillo bumped Flexen from the Seattle rotation. Despite the demotion Flexen matched Taillon’s 2022 bWAR of 1.3. Many will point to Flexen’s drop in fWAR from 3.0 in 2021 to 0.7 in 2022. However, Walker has never posted an fWAR above 2.5 and Taillon has not exceeded 2.3 fWAR since 2018. MLB Trade Rumors projected Taillon and Walker with four-year contracts in free agency, Taillon at $56 million and Walker at $52 million. Flexen is guaranteed a 2023 salary of $8 million in what MLB Trade Rumors reports is his final year of team control (despite Flexen currently sitting on two years and 107 days of MLB service).

MLB Trade Rumors projected Taijuan Walker with a four-year, $52 million contract and Jameson Taillon with a four-year, $56 million contract: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/11/mlb-trade-rumors-top-50-free-agents-predictions-2022-23.html One year of Seattle righthander Chris Flexen, who is at least two years younger than Walker and Taillon, at $8 million become a more attractive trade target. Or not.