harmony

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 TW 316.2 IP, 3.98 ERA, 99 ERA+, 3.9 fWAR CF 317.2 IP, 3.66 ERA, 108 ERA+, 3.7 fWAR The Seattle Mariners reportedly are shopping Flexen, who is two years younger than Walker and two-and-a-half years younger than Taillon. Baseball Trade Values devalued Flexen after Luis Castillo bumped Flexen from the Seattle rotation. 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. Columnist Tim Britton at The Athletic projects Taillon and Walker with contracts in the four-year, $56 million range: https://theathletic.com/3764820/2022/11/09/mlb-contract-projections-free-agent-pitchers/ 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).

The Yankees also scored 49 runs in their three top-scoring games, the Astros 47, the Blue Jays 58, the Guardians 42, the Rays 34 and the Mariners 36. The Blue Jays total includes a 28-spot against the Red Sox.

Gotta hate it when notin is right.

The Red Sox reportedly have non-tendered Franchy Cordero:

A "big" overpay by Seattle, according to Baseball Trade Values: https://www.baseballtradevalues.com/trades/trade-108738/

1. Danny Hultzen, James Paxton and Luiz Gohara were never in the same prospect class. Hultzen, Paxton and Taijuan Walker were. FWIW 25-year-old Logan Gilbert, with 5.4 fWAR in 56 starts, and 24-year-old George Kirby, with 3.0 fWAR in 25 starts, may have already surpassed that trio pitching as the third and fourth starters behind Luis Castillo and Robbie Ray. 2. The Mariners would not "free up" anything by trading a pitcher who has made 53 starts in the past two years for a pitcher who has 20 career starts. 3. Seattle does not want out of the last four years of the contract with 27-year-old J.P. Crawford, who over the past two seasons has posted 5.3 fWAR, valued at $42.6 million.

Tanner Houck is an unlikely trade target for the Mariners given the pitching depth in the Seattle system.

The Mariners also return a sixth starter in Chris Flexen who made 22 starts in 2022. Prospect starters Emerson Hancock, Taylor Dollard and Bryce Miller may be MLB-ready in 2023. This year Dollard was Pitcher of the Year in the Double A Texas League, Prelander Berroa Pitcher of the Year in the High A Northwest League and Joseph Hernandez the Pitcher of the Year in the Single A California League. The Seattle system has pitching depth.

The Rays reportedly are in "advanced trade negotiations" with unidentified teams: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/11/rays-notes-40-man-roster-trades-choi-kiermaier.html

Perhaps Chaim Bloom is negotiating an imminent trade with his former employer: Or not.

Some fans don't appreciate a 28-year-old player who is one year removed from an All Star, Gold Glove 4.7 bWAR/4.2 fWAR season.

In addition to offseason acquisitions the Mariners hope for improvements from their young core (who gathered on Saturday):

It's doubtful the trade for Luis Castillo was contingent upon the righthander signing an extension with the Mariners. The Seattle front office likely contacted Castillo's agent shortly after the trade but the extension was not announced until eight weeks later.

At this time last year that Red Sox could return this lineup intact: C Christian Vazquez 1B Bobby Dalbec (coming off a .955 OPS second half) 2B Christian Arroyo 3B Rafael Devers SS Xander Bogaerts LF Alex Verdugo CF Kiki Hernandez RF Hunter Renfroe DH J.D. Martinez To date the Red Sox have added Trevor Story, Rob Refsnyder, Reese McGuire/Connor Wong and the prospect of Triston Casas to that lineup while subtracting Martinez, Vazquez, Renfroe and possibly Bogaerts (not to mention the remote possibility of a Devers trade). A year ago the Sox were counting on Chris Sale to rejoin Nathan Eovaldi and Nick Pivetta in a starting rotation that had gotten 13 solid starts from Tanner Houck. Now the Sox have Pivetta, the shells of Sale and James Paxton, and the promise of the unproven Brayan Bello, Garrett Whitlock and Houck. If that does not present more holes to fill, the consensus is that the Red Sox must give bullpen upgrades high priority. The Red Sox may face their most serious offseason challenges of the millennium while navigating the luxury tax threshold.

Michael Fulmer it is.

To be precise, if Xander Bogaerts signs elsewhere the Red Sox should received an added draft pick after the fourth round has been completed: Qualifying Offer | Glossary | MLB.com WWW.MLB.COM The Official Site of Major League Baseball If the Red Sox sign a free agent who has rejected a qualifying offer, the Sox will lose their second- and fifth-highest picks in the 2023 draft. A second QO signing would result in the forfeiture of the third- and sixth-highest picks as well. In short, the Bogaerts compensation would not cancel out the forfeitures.

Or about half a Rafael Montero with a three-year commitment.

notin target Rafael Montero re-signs with the Houston Astros: https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck3WNipO8hm/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y%3D Three years, $34.5 million. Whoa.

We find rare agreement on one issue. Unless Seattle reliever Paul Sewald successfully recruits his younger brother's friend, a fellow graduate of Bishop Gorman High School in Las Vegas. https://www.reviewjournal.com/sports/sports-columns/ron-kantowski/joey-gallo-tops-paul-sewald-in-a-duel-of-bishop-gorman-stars-2415465/

Perhaps James Paxton knows his health better than we do as the Scott Boras client settles for $4 million.

James Paxton reportedly exercised his $4 million player option for 2023: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2022/11/james-paxton-exercises-player-option.html The 34-year-old lefthander probably knows his health better than we do.

FanGraphs has ranked its Top 50 free agents with projected contracts: https://blogs.fangraphs.com/2023-top-50-free-agents/

The Mariners are likely to keep Jarred Kelenic but trade Jesse Winker and at least one of Kyle Lewis, Taylor Trammell and Cade Marlowe. Seattle has no need for Josh Donaldson or Isiah Kiner-Falefa but might be interested in two years of Gleyber Torres, who has only $3 million in surplus trade value at Baseball Trade Values: https://www.baseballtradevalues.com/players/9590/ The top Yankee prospects are middle infielders and the Yanks may pursue one of the top free agent shortstops if Aaron Judge signs elsewhere. If they lose Anthony Rizzo and Andrew Benintendi to free agency, would the Yankees be interested in the lefthanded bat of Jesse Winker? Whom would the Yankees want in return for Torres, who has posted 4.9 bWAR and a 104 OPS+ in 309 games over the past three seasons? https://www.pinstripealley.com/2022/10/28/23427714/yankees-gleyber-torres-trade-future-solid-regular-limited-upside-above-average-offense-defense https://empiresportsmedia.com/new-york-yankees/yankees-could-end-up-trading-starting-infielder-this-off-season/ https://www.overtimeheroics.net/2022/10/31/yankees-roster-addressing-the-infield/ Perhaps these questions are not appropriate for a Red Sox forum.

Just a qualifying offer for an incumbent, two non-QO free agents outside the Top 20 and a trade for a second baseman to bat in the 9 hole.

As good as any November 6 projection ... not good at all. Or are you assuming the Mariners will sign Aaron Judge and Trea Turner?