harmony

The lockout apparently includes a blackout on current content at MLB.com: A note about our website content WWW.MLB.COM You may notice that the content on this site looks a little different than usual. The reason for this is because the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the players and the league expired just before midnight on Dec. 1 and a new CBA is currently being negotiated between the owners and

Jarren Duran will be two years older than lefty-hitting Taylor Trammell was last spring when the Seattle outfielder tore up the Cactus League en route to an Opening Day start in center field: 2024 MLB Player Hitting Stat Leaders | MLB.com WWW.MLB.COM The official source for player hitting stats, MLB home run leaders, batting average, OPS and stat leaders Perhaps Taylor Trammell is the new Jarren Duran comp.

And that estimated $17.5 million would cover two seasons of Hunter Renfroe while Jackie Bradley Jr. is guaranteed $17.5 million for a single season (with a mutual option for $21.5 million over two seasons). Bradley at a net $4 million for the 2023 season might be appealing to the Red Sox. Or not.

According to reports, the Red Sox are on the hook for $17.5 million including an $8 million buyout of a 2023 mutual option that Jackie Bradley Jr. is likely to exercise. https://www.masslive.com/redsox/2021/12/red-sox-trade-for-jackie-bradley-jr-send-hunter-renfroe-to-brewers-in-deal-two-prospects-also-come-to-boston-in-deal.html Hunter Renfroe is projected to earn $7.6 million in arbitration, leaving the Sox with a net guaranteed payroll increase of nearly $10 million (although Renfroe has an additional year of team control and salary if he survives the 2022 non-tender deadline).

Can this spat be taken outside the forum? The atmosphere has become toxic.

Absent a change of course, this forum is headed downhill. Keep it classy.

FWIW the Los Angeles Angels re-signed Raisel Iglesias for four years and $58 million (in hopes of snapping baseball's longest current streak of consecutive losing seasons).

The returns of Rich Hill and Jackie Bradley Jr. could salve the early offseason wounds. Or not.

Red Sox fans should expect the unexpected this offseason.

The Los Angeles Angels, looking to snap baseball's current longest streak of consecutive losing seasons, have signed Noah Syndergaard, Raisel Iglesias, Aaron Loup and Michael Lorenzen. The defending American League champion Houston Astros have signed Justin Verlander and Hector Neris. The Texas Rangers have signed Corey Seager, Marcus Semien, Jon Gray and Kole Calhoun. The Oakland Athletics are waiting to cash in their trade chips.

Steamer projects a 2022 WAR of 1.2 in 131 innings for righthander Dylan Bundy, who reportedly has signed with Minnesota for a $5 million guarantee in a one-year contract with an option. Steamer projects a 2022 WAR of 1.2 in 126 innings for righthander Michael Wacha, who reportedly signed a one-year contract for $7 million. Wacha is 16 months older than Bundy. This year Bundy posted 0.0 fWAR in 90.2 innings while Wacha posted 1.1 fWAR in 124.2 innings. Marcel projects 2022 ERA of 4.73 in 120 innings for Bundy and 4.90 in 125 innings for Wacha. MLB front offices certainly have more and better information than the casual fan.

The advantages of playing in the American League East.

Ten days ago who would have thought that, despite a flurry of MLB free agent signings, the Red Sox would have signed only Michael Wacha, James Paxton, Christin Stewart and Rob Refsynder before the pending lockout? It's only December 1 but the early results have been unexpected if not underwhelming.

Fair question.

And the Red Sox aren't picking up the free agents who have signed with other clubs. Perhaps the Red Sox have better information. Or not.

Please return to baseball discussion and avoid personal attacks. A point typically can be made without using "you" or "I" in a post. A quote attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt: "Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people." Be kind and be well.

In other Tommy John news, on the same evening the Seattle Mariners reached a four-year extension with reliever Andres Munoz, who threw only 17 pitches in 2021 after missing the 2020 season post-surgery. The difference is that Munoz was returning from Tommy John surgery while Paxton's surgery came after his 21 pitches in 2021. The Seattle bullpen in 2022 will welcome high-end reliever Ken Giles in his return from Tommy John surgery. In a parallel to the Paxton pact, the Mariners last February signed Giles to a two-year, $7 million contract with the understanding that Giles would miss the entire 2021 season.

The market is interesting in that James Paxton received a raise after getting paid $8.5 million in 2021 to throw only 21 pitches at the MLB level. Paxton and Michael Wacha flew so far under the radar that neither made MLB Trade Rumors' list of Top 50 free agents* this offseason: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/11/top-50-mlb-free-agent-rankings.html The Red Sox front office presumably has more and better information than the casual fan who is puzzled by the acquisitions. * Paxton earned an honorable mention after the MLBTR list

The Red Sox reportedly just missed out signing Corey Kluber: https://www.masslive.com/redsox/2021/11/red-sox-rumors-boston-very-nearly-signed-corey-kluber-who-inked-1-year-deal-with-rays-report.html

Why should anyone care about a bald opinion? FWIW since the start of the 2019 season Michael Wacha has posted 0.8 fWAR and a negative 0.9 bWAR while Martin Perez has posted 2.8 fWAR and 1.7 bWAR. Steamer projects 2022 WAR of 1.2 in 125 innings for Wacha and 1.2 in 120 innings for Perez.

Since the start of the 2019 season Michael Wacha has posted an ERA of 5.11 and ERA+ of 80 in 285.1 innings while Martin Perez, who is three months older than Wacha, has posted an ERA of 4.88 and ERA+ of 95 in 341.1 innings.

Michael Wacha flew so far under the radar that the righthander failed to gain even an honorable mention below MLB Trade Rumors' list of Top 50 free agents this offseason: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/11/top-50-mlb-free-agent-rankings.html Wacha might be a mirror image of lefthander Andrew Heaney, whom the Los Angeles Dodgers signed earlier this month for a reported $8.5 million. Wacha and Heaney, who were born less than a month apart, were the 19th and ninth picks in the 2012 draft out of Texas A&M and Oklahoma State, respectively. In fact, Wacha and Heaney faced each other that year in Big 12 Conference action*: https://12thman.com/sports/baseball/stats/2012/oklahoma-state/boxscore/4804 Since the start of the 2019 season Wacha has posted an ERA of 5.11 and ERA+ of 80 in 285.1 innings whlle Heaney has posted an ERA of 5.21 and ERA+ of 87 in 291.2 innings. Heaney occupied the final slot on the MLBTR Top 50 free agent list but was unranked at The Athletic's Top 100 list where Wacha came in at No. 100. Neither Wacha nor Heaney made the Top 50 free agent list at FanGraphs: https://blogs.fangraphs.com/2022-top-50-free-agents/ The Red Sox and Dodgers, two of baseball's more successful franchises, presumably had more and better information on Wacha and Heaney than the casual fan who is puzzled by each signing. * falling deeper down that rabbit hole, the previous year Wacha and Texas A&M toppled current Seattle lefthander Marco Gonzales and Gonzaga in a game saved by the Aggies' Ross Stripling: https://12thman.com/sports/baseball/stats/2011/gonzaga/boxscore/3363

It was a small sample but in two starts against the Seattle Mariners last season Michael Wacha surrendered 20 hits and 11 earned runs in 7.2 innings: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.fcgi?id=wachami01&year=2021&t=p#all_oppon_extra

The Red Sox front office undoubtedly has more and better information on Michael Wacha than the casual baseball fan who would never sign a starting pitcher who since the start of the 2019 season has an ERA of 5.11 and an ERA+ of 80 in 285.1 innings (66 appearances, 54 starts).

Marcels projects free agent righthander Mike Foltynewicz with a 2022 ERA of 4.96 in 127 innings while Steamer projects Foltynewicz with a 2022 ERA of 5.15 in 126 innings: https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/foltymi01.shtml https://www.fangraphs.com/players/mike-foltynewicz/10811/stats?position=P