TwitterNapoli Reportedly On-Board
3 Dec 2012
Word on the street is that Mike Napoli is going to get $13mm per season for 3-years from the Red Sox. That’s a ton of scratch for a .227 hitter (in 2012) who isn’t very good defensively. Still, I like this deal. 3 years isn’t a ton and while it is more than I’d like to pay, the Red Sox don’t have anyone internally nearly is capable as Napoli to play first base.
Napoli has power (career 507 SLG) and on-base potential (career .354 OBP). He strikes out a bunch, but otherwise isn’t a pushover in the line-up. Ideally Napoli would be in the 6th spot, but with this team, he could be a 5.
Even though he isn’t particularly gifted in the field, he can catch and play first base, which means almost certainly Jarrod Saltalamacchia or Ryan Lavarnway will be moved, otherwise you’ll have 3 full-time catchers (David Ross) and a part time catcher on the roster. That’s, you know, too many catchers.
The other reason I like this is because Napoli has killed the Red Sox in the past as I alluded to 2 months ago.
So here is the line-up if the season started today:
c – Salty
1b – Napoli
2b – Pedroia
3b – Middlebrooks
ss – Iglasias
lf – Gomes
cf – Ellsbury
rf – Kalish
dh – Ortiz
It doesn’t inspire fear, but it’s a start.
Dec 03, 2012 @ 16:07:53
that is a 15-20 games out of first lineup. Probably 5 guys in that lineup that won’t hit .250. Unless you are coming with the 1970 Orioles or 1993 Braves staff I don’t see where the rebuilding is even underway. You don’t rebuild with Napoli or Gomes.
Remember the disagreements and debates on giving Ortiz $26/2yr ? Wow, just gave same per year to a guy that the best you can say about him is he historically hits Boston pitchers well.
Go 3 or 4 years in on Hamilton at $25 per. Add some punch.
Dec 04, 2012 @ 09:00:11
Amazingly, if you change out one name in that lineup you get a much different look. Replace Gomes/Kalish (take your pick) with Hamilton for 4 years. Now you have a lineup that will intrigue when healthy. 4 years for $115, I’m in.
Dec 04, 2012 @ 19:09:10
$39 million for Shane Victorino?!
Dec 04, 2012 @ 20:55:24
yep, easily the dumb and dumber moves. I guess they are buying time until 2016 from the looks of it
Dec 05, 2012 @ 00:29:27
I would have gone with your idea of signing Hamilton instead of Napoli and Victorino. I guess if the Red Sox can turn Ellsbury into legitimate prospects it might make sense, but wow.
Dec 05, 2012 @ 08:32:01
so they vacated (2013 salaries) :
Gonzo $21m
Crawford $20m
Beckett $16m
total $57m
And just spent $26m of it on slightly better than two role players. Victorino if healthy can be productive but also is in decline.
I’d rather have spent $13per for Napoli and $26per for Hamilton for 4 years.
They still have money to spend, they weren’t going out of business, it was the length of contracts that they had issue with, Gonzo through ’18, Crawford through ’17 and Beckett through ’14
Need hockey season to be saved to help get through the winter now…
Dec 05, 2012 @ 14:16:52
BL, that is a bunch of scratch for Victorino. I don’t mind Napoli so much though and I think both are probably better than slightly above average types, just my .02.