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Report: Red Sox want to make Mike Napoli’s deal for one year 01.11.13 at 7:30 pm ET
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According to Jim Bowden of ESPN and MLB Network Radio (via twitter), the Red Sox want to reduce the three-year, $39 million deal with Mike Napoli to a one-year guarantee based on concerns about the catcher’s hip. Bowden tweeted: Red Sox would like to shorten their deal with Napoli to one-year to make sure the hip will be ok for 2 or 3 seasons without a lot of DL time

Napoli and the team agreed to the deal on Dec. 3. One week later, he underwent a physical in Boston that revealed concerns about his health.

The Sox, according to GM Ben Cherington on the WEEI Red Sox Hot Stove Show on Thursday, continue to talk with Napoli, which suggests that the team is “hopeful of being able to do something but we just don’t know yet. We’ll see how it plays out.”

Manager John Farrell reiterated that position on Friday.

“This isn’t like it’s a major surprise at this point. I have the utmost confidence that this question will be answered in due time. We’re working through it,” said Farrell. “We’re all well aware of the certain situation that’s still being worked through. I know Ben is doing whatever he possibly can so that when we report to spring training that we’ve got that position answered.”

In the past, the Sox have protected themselves from medical concerns with language that either permitted a year or years to be voided at the end of the contract should a specific injury impair a player’s availability (in the case of J.D. Drew) or that would allow the club to tack on an additional year at the major league minimum in case of a certain threshold of missed time (in the case of John Lackey).

The Sox do continue to explore other first base possibilities both in free agency and trade.

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  • Anonymous

    Is Nap-head really that important? Nix the deal. Go trade for a real first baseman.

  • ih8sno

    Well, kiss him goodbye then.
     While he seems like he’d be a good fit in Boston, there has to be a better option other than this guy for three years.

  • Xander Bogaerts

    Redsox are playing this out way to long. Move on to someone else. We are not talking about Albert Pujols here.

  • Derek

    How about 1 year with 2 team option years which automatically kick in on either games played or plate appearances the year before? Maybe a buyout if team declines.

  • Anthony Rizzo

    Just think I could of been you first baseman .

    • Brian

      Yeah, except Beckett and Crawford would still be on the team in that case.

    • http://www.facebook.com/people/Ryan-Johnson/100003527812680 Ryan Johnson

      First you need to learn how to speak.

  • Anonymous

     Well, I guess this deal is over with. 

  • Backfromthedepths

    The team still sucks and will be in the basement for another season…

    • Mike Wilkins

      a well thought out and lucid argument…your private school teachers did a great job with you…can’t see a hairnet in your future at all

    • http://www.facebook.com/james.kolley James Kolley

      why bother paying attention?

  • Chonor0713

    Screw Napoli just trade for Morse he’s going to be solid.

    • Anonymous

      I’d like to see Nap signed–1 year $14 or 15.
      Explore Tyler Moore from the Nationals–look at his numbers. One of the top minor league  home run hitters. Had 10 HR’s and 29 RBI after being called up in Sept. Was on the post season roster going 1-1.
      He will require the same comp. as Morse but has a few years of control. He also plays corner OF.

    • Pedro

      Morse is going to the Yankees

  • mike kelly

    Red Sox stop screwing around here the guy has power he’s gonna hit hrs and drive can runs without him kiss the playoffs good bye Napoli is a very important bat in the line up . #redsoxtalk

    • AL34

      Playoffs are you kidding. This team will be lucky to be at .500 this year. Worst free agents they have ever signed, a clown of a GM and Larry Luchinno who I have no idea what he does. Not even bothering with a baseball package this year. All this team is assembled for is to maximize profits for Henry and Company and save money with prospects who are at Major League Minimum. Going to be a long year.

      • Diggs

        Don’t you think the maximizing profits line would be better suited if the team didn’t go out and sign a bunch of middling free agents?

      • Capecodrt

        Good to hear that. No one should put any money into the pockets of these theives.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/26CA7AXBI4Y63N5TBE55VOYJLQ Tristan

    Cherington is a moron and needs to be fired. All the moves he has made this year suck. Gomes is a platoon player at best, and wont get it done in LF (especially with his horrible D), Victorino is a declining player no way in hell worth 13mill a yr (6-8 would be better), and now taking forever just to land someone for 1b..   Napoli will not accept a 1yr deal. If he does, and ends up playing great then his value goes way up, and someone else will sign him for 2014.   IM TELLING EVERYONE WITH BEN CHERINGTON AS GM REDSOX WILL GO NO WHEREEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

    • Fab4ever

      Thanks for that gripping post…..

      • Kingkelly

        You said it, Fab.   Fortunately I was wearing shades, which spared me from retinal damage… 

    • Bsox67

      While i’m not a fan of Victorino and not a flag waving Gomes fan.. Gomes has the potential to mash at Fenway… Look at his numbers playing in Oakland.. Even in a platoon role Gomes could go 18-25 with 80 RBI.  Marginal players raked this offseason.. Look at Youk for God’s sake.. 12 million???? What did you want Tristian?   Did you want Hamilton who is a strip club away from being suspended?  Grenkie????  That guy broke the bank and nobody knows if his mental illness struggles will come back to haunt him.   There wasn’t much out there for Ben.. Add to the fact that potential trade suitors want the farm in most potential deals.. Give Ben more time…

    • Capecodrt

      So far, it looks like you are right. The ownership gave him a few dollars to spend, and he wastes it on Dempster and Victorino. That as bad as Theo signing John Lackey and Carl Crawford.(although CC seemeed like a good idea)  If Napoli is healthy, I want him. But, how can you trust anything this team says. Why didn’t they examine Napoli before going public with it? (he should go back to Texas and be the RH part of a platoon with Pierzinski) He may be fine, and Henry is making up a story about his health just to pinch pennies. At this point, they should hold a fire sale, and give Gomez and Cirraco and Bogarts 500 AB’s. They have a great bullpen,but it won’t be enough with the team being so bad..Speaking of Victorino, wouldn’t Bourn have been a better choice?

      • Dano50

        Capecodrt says… ”how can you trust anything this team says.”   Well how can we trust YOUR nonsense?  I’m going to say THEIR plan makes much more sense than yours.

    • http://www.facebook.com/peter.e.hutchins Peter E. Hutchins

      Its not Cherrington.  It is a bad free agent / trade year.  And, we have so many promising prospects, they are rightfully conservative about trading the,.  Since you apparently have all the answers, what would you have done or what would you still do this offseason, and please state how and why.  Thanks.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/26CA7AXBI4Y63N5TBE55VOYJLQ Tristan

    All that money saved from Gonzo/Crawford trade, and we still have not upgraded our team. Forgot to mention Dumpster who is gonna get rocked in the AL…    

    • Old Time Hockey

      it’s about 2 years from now moron. this team will be better than you think

      • Pedro

        Haven’t won a playoff game in 6 years, but who cares?

  • Bruinman86

    1 year with a team option for 2.  I could live with that.  3-4 years is nuts.

  • http://twitter.com/Zj_6 Zack Jones

    Makes sense, no reason to risk anything beyond that if there is an injury concern. Morse is a possible substitution so long as the price isn’t prohibitive But note: Morse has some injury concerns as well, so there is risk involved in either deal

  • http://www.facebook.com/richard.gilboy Richard Gilboy

    Train Brentz or Boegarts for first already. 

    • Diggs

      Boegarts for first? I think Tristan might be ready to hire you as GM. 

  • DAPATS

    Get Schilling………………he needs the money…..GO PATS!!!!!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1236960046 Lee Taylor

    Real crap end of the stick for Napoli. Boston just ruined his market for this year.

    • rogerroger

      Yup. They really screwed him. Not a good message to send to other free agents in the future. 

      • Wmeritz

         Pure and simple, its a good business move on the Sox’s part.Napoli is still free to pursue a job with any other team if he chooses to do so.

        • Dano50

          Exactly.  Doesn’t anyone (everyone?) wonder why suitors aren’t lining up for him?  No one is about to top TWO years for him…let alone match three at that price.  Or he would be gone already.  They are offering one now…probably will end up adding an incentive (games played) option for a second.  Otherwise…he can play on a one year deal to prove his health issues are behind him and try for a bigger payday next year.  Along the lines of what Beltre did.  His reluctance indicates that HE isn’t sure how healthy he’ll be.

  • Thomar4

    Morse would be better. Nats want a LH reliever, and mid-level prospect. Sox have plenty of options there. He’s also a free agent after 2013. Napoli on one year with options is fine too. Think Ben playing this well. Napoli isn’t getting better offers anywhere else or he’d be gone by now. This deal will get done, the complicated language in the new revised contract is the hold up.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/David-Palozej/100003149722784 David Palozej

    Sox need a L-handed hitter with some pop..Why didn’t the Red Sox get
    Garrett Jones in the Pirates deal?  He
    had an OPS of .888 vs R-handed pitching last year…and played half his games
    last year at 1B and half in OF…perfect fit? 
    And since the Pirates traded for Miami’s ex-All Star Gabby Sanchez last
    year to play 1B…they don’t need Jones? And he is still under team control for
    THREE more years of Arbitration!!  So
    what is the wait?  Jones could play
    1B…or if Red Sox sign Napoli…Jones would be a perfect platoon with Gomes in
    LF…what would Pirates demand?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=650137574 John Doughty

    To hell with Napoli.  Trade for ‘The Beast’, Michael Morse.

  • Jstorres2340

    I think they should give Napoli a 1 year deal and go a make a tarde for morse

  • Jstorres2340

    They can have both of them

  • Gallaghertj1951

    Sox are overpaying for Gomes and Victorino, Avg to marginal players on their Best Day. Why is it that they have suddenly have acquired a small market mentality? Improvement have been made in pitching. Suspect  acquisitions as far as everyday players are concerned. Don’t like Napoli as an everyday First baseman. Didn’t Sox loose a World Series in ’86 vs. Mets due to a First-baseman flub? First baseman handle more chances than any Fielder, excluding the Catcher.

  • askj

    Someone tell me a better first baseman they can go out and easily get right now.

    • MadMc44

      Tyler Moore the Nat’s #3 1 b–is a prospect but has great potential. Look at his YouTube. This kid would fit right in with the group of young kids the Sox have coming along.

      • Nirvana

        I agree. He also plays LF. A couple of prospects for a prospect. How about Salty, and a Lefthander for Moore?

    • Pedro

      First of all he is a horrible first baseman, and second of all he is coming off a horrible season and has a history of being injured

      • Dano50

        Well you didn’t answer the question first of all.  Who would YOU target?  We’re all ears.  Secondly…define “horrible” eh?  Yeah he had an off year.  Look at his last three though.  Even in his “horrible” year his OBP was just under .800 at .791.  What IS horrible is is walk to strikeout ratio.  But he can still flat out rake with 18 HR’s in just 102 games last year.  31 the year prior in a full year.  He sure ain’t an “A” option…but for option “B” at a reasonable cost…they could do worse.

  • tekton8

    two words… Mike Morse.  Get ‘er done.

  • Ben Levin

    How could u say that @Nazzi_Muhammed?
    Napoli’s ten times better.

  • yougottadowhatyougottado

    Is Big Papi taking grounders yet?

  • Capecodrt

    This smells like an over
    ruling. When Henry was interupted from checking the Liverpool soccer standings,he said to Cherigton,”I don’t care how you do it, get out of that contract,and don’t spend another nickel”.

  • Capecodrt

    Now they are down to Gomez or Carlos Lee. Lee would be a good signing. He knocks in runs with runners on
     base.

  • anguillaman3

    Why is that Ben “BOY GENIUS 2″ can’t even make one good deal….not even
    one.  If Napoli is hurt, then why sign him for even one year.  If he’s not hurt why would
    he want to sign here….more endless Cherington bungling. The season has not even started
    and I’m already tired of the Sox. Thank God we have the Pats, Celts and B’s to follow as well in this town.

  • Anonymous

    They better make sure they have an awesome farm system, because this is gonna keep free agents from negotiating with the sox

    • Anonymous

      Negative. That’s ridiculous… They’ve been doing this for years and it hasn’t kept any FAs away from them yet. Neither will this.

  • Izzie Nutz

    It the guy is not worth 3 years then he’s not worth one year either. Man I wish i had $13 million to gamble on a lame horse !

  • Gsmith

    I would give Napoli the three years at the original deal, but either insure his hip, like the Yankees did with ARod, or have a buyout umbrella.. I agree with the others that its time to move on.. On Morse, they have a half a dozen guys they could use in  a trade, some relief, some utility, maybe one prospect, but depended on whom.. Morse would be a rental, but I like what the Blue Jays did with RA Dickey, who was in the same turnaround year situation.. The trade would be conditional on a contract extension.. I think they should offer him a three year, with a fourth option.. Use incentives or backloads on the contract. The extension and health check would be the key to  making the deal work..

    If it did and they got Napoli, I would play musical chairs with the positions.. I have heard that Morse could play the outfield.. Putting him in left, with Gomes as the fourth starter would be nice..  Napoli would commute between 1B and C. They would probably, or should unload one or maybe two catchers to do this.. One should go in the Morse trade, and I would get on the phone with the GM from Chicago to see if they would work with a three for one(catcher included) for a guy like Chris Sale or Gavin Floyd..

    Also agree with the consensus that the BoSox should leave their prospects alone.. I read the article on Rubby De La Rosa, and they might not make any more starting pitcher trades, as they might have penciled in one for a fifth or sixth term starter, should one of the current group go down with injuries.   

  • Wmeritz

    Both sides are waiting for the other to blink first. Its obvious that the Sox are in the drivers seat regarding these negotiations. I do not blame the Sox for wanting to protect themselves. 

  • RDee

    This is getting sillier by the day. What a bumbling bunch of fools. The laughingstock of MLB. What an OFF season. The Bruins are giving free hot dogs, what are the sox going to do?………….free bricks? It’s going to be a LONG season people.

  • Dano S

    This Napoli situation is starting to remind me alot like Beckett and Gonzalez.Move on from Napoli.
    Red Sox Predictions 104.0 Sox sign Kyle Lohse SP Cardinals, Delmon Young OF Tigers and
    Lyle Overbay. I am still quite happy with the signings Sox have made.

  • Liam

    Why would you offer a 3 year deal to Napoli Ben not to mention Victorino You have no clue what u r doing. BILLY BEANE!! 

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