» Russell Branyan

Over at U.S.S. Mariner, Dave Cameron meditates on Russell Branyan and his refusal to regress to his mean performance. Branyan, who is the best off-season acquisition in baseball on a cost-to-returns basis ($1.4 million this year for .317 avg, 14 HR, .414 OBP and .614 SLG), has seen his batting average decline from .333 in April to .290 in June. However, he’s been rock steady in on-base and slugging percentages because he’s reduced the number of times he strikes out and increased his walk rate to compensate.

The Mariners did not pursue Raul Ibañez, who is having a career year in Philadelphia with 21 HR, .322 avg., .377 OBP and .674 SLG. But Raul is earning $7.2 million this year, more than five times Branyan’s salary. The only categories where Ibañez leads Branyan, home runs (21 v. 14) and RBIs (58 v. 29, which accounts for Raul’s higher slugging percentage, as well) are functions of the batters around them in their respective lineups. Branyan, batting in the two-hole these days, has had fewer opportunities to drive in runs while Ibañez is batting behind Chase Utley, Ryan Howard and is followed by Jason Werth. The Phillies are paying a premium up and down its batting order on which Ibañez is cashing in.

Branyan is delivering more for the money. With this salary and a one-year deal, he’s pretty certain to be trade bait this June and July.

IN OTHER NEWS: Down in the minors, 3B Alex Liddi of the High Desert Mavericks (Hi-A), who played for Italy in the WBC, is tearing the cover off the ball. In 57 games, 234 at-bats, he’s got 15 home runs, 56 RBIs, .333 avg. and .628 SLG. Someone to watch.

Adrian Beltre, who I suspect is injured, because he is not moving down the baseline with any speed this year, will ride the bench in Moday’s game versus the Angels and two-pitches-and-yer-ejected John Lackey. Beltre has also shown very poor timing on pitches. If anything, his batting eye is getting worse with each passing week.

Being benched did some good for Yuniesky Betancourt last week, who has raised his average by more than 10 points during the past 10 games, but Beltre doesn’t look like he needs encouragement, he looks like he just doesn’t have any presence at the plate. He’s sitting on a .211 average for the season, more than 50 points below last year’s full-season number, when he was playing hurt. The bottom line, though, is that it shouldn’t take a benching to get a major league player on track.

Yesterday’s walk-off win over the Red Sox showed Jason Vargas has some staying power, that Mark Lowe is potentially the closer of the future after all (with David Aardsma in the 8th), and that the bottom of the order can deliver a clutch win. All good signs. Right now, the M’s are being held back by slumping bats in the middle of the order.

Russell Branyan is the best free-agent signing, on a price/performance basis, of the winter. The M’s may have passed on Raul Ibañez, who is tearing up pitchers for the Phillies, but Branyan is delivering huge returns on his much lower salary.