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Red Sox announce one-year deal with Mike Napoli; designate Chris Carpenter for assignment 01.22.13 at 3:32 pm ET
By Rob Bradford

The Red Sox officially signed Mike Napoli to a one-year deal, Tuesday. (AP)

The Red Sox officially announced the signing of infielder Mike Napoli to a one-year deal worth $5 million, that can get to $13 million with incentives. If counted from the day the original three-year, $39 million was agreed upon, on Dec. 3, to Tuesday’s announcement, it took 51 days for the contract to be reworked due to concerns regarding Napoli’s hip. (For details of the contract, click here.) To make room for Napoli on the 40-man roster the team designated Chris Carpenter for assignment.

The following is the complete press release from the team:

The Boston Red Sox today signed first baseman Mike Napoli to a contract for 2013.  To make room for Napoli on the 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher Chris Carpenter was designated for assignment. The announcement was made by Executive Vice President/General Manager Ben Cherington.

Napoli, 31, hit 24 home runs in 108 games for the Rangers in 2012, his first All-Star season.  It was his third consecutive year with at least 24 homers.  In addition, Napoli ranked sixth in home run rate (14.7 AB/HR) and eighth in walk rate (56 walks , 7.5 PA/BB) among American League players with at least 400 plate appearances this past season.  Adam Dunn was the only Major Leaguer with better rates in both categories (13.2 AB/HR, 6.2 PA/BB).

The right-handed batter saw 4.41 pitches per plate appearance, trailing only Dunn (4.43) and A.J. Ellis (4.43) among big leaguers.  His career rate of 4.27 pitches seen per plate appearance ranks fifth among Major Leaguers active through 2012 (min. 2,500 PA).

Napoli, who will wear Number 12, split time between catcher (69 starts), first base (24 starts) and designated hitter (9 starts) last year, totaling a .227 average (80-for-352) with 56 RBI to go along with his 24 home runs.  He hit seven homers and drove in 16 runs over his final 16 regular season games following a stint on the disabled list.

Among American Leaguers with at least 700 plate appearances over the last two seasons, Napoli ranks fourth with a .931 OPS behind Miguel Cabrera (1.017), Jose Bautista (.990), and David Ortiz (.981).  He set career highs in most offensive categories in 2011, including a .320 batting average, 30 home runs, 75 RBI, and 58 walks in 113 games.

Napoli is one of six American Leaguers with at least 20 homers in each of the last five seasons.  Among all Major Leaguers, only Jose Bautista (14.0) and Albert Pujols (14.8) have averaged fewer at-bats per home run than Napoli (14.9) in those five years (min. 1,500 PA).

Since 2008, Napoli ranks fifth in the American League with a .522 slugging percentage and ninth with a .879 OPS.   He leads big league catchers in home runs (120) and slugging during that time.

Napoli is the only catcher ever to reach double-digits in home runs in each of his first seven seasons appearing in the majors (min. 60 games caught per season).  Brian McCann is the only other catcher with at least 20 homers in each of the last five years.

A seven-year Major League veteran, he has hit .259 (587-for-2,270) with 113 doubles, six triples, 146 home runs, and 380 RBI in 727 career Major League games.  He spent the last two seasons with the Rangers (2011-12) after beginning his big league career with five seasons for the Angels (2006-10).

Of his 146 career homers, 109 have come while catching.  His career average of 15.3 at-bats per home run as a catcher is the best among all Major League backstops over the past 35 years.  In that time, only Mike Piazza (.559) has a better slugging percentage while at the position than Napoli (.516).

The Rangers went 79-47 (.627) in his 126 starts behind the plate over the last two seasons, the best winning percentage for any Major League catcher with at least 65 starts.  His 3.80 catcher’s ERA since 2011 ranks fifth in the AL (min. 1,000 innings).

Napoli, selected by the Angels in the 17th round of the 2000 June draft, was signed by Todd Claus, now the Red Sox’ Latin American Coordinator and International Crosschecker.

In 19 career games at Fenway Park, Napoli has hit .306 (19-for-62) with four doubles, seven home runs, and 17 RBI.  His .710 slugging percentage ranks third all-time at the ballpark (min. 70 PA) after Dave Kingman (.816) and Frank Robinson (.724).  He also leads active players with a 1.107 OPS and just 8.9 at-bats per home run in Boston.

Napoli’s clubs have reached the postseason in five of the last six seasons (except 2010).  In 32 career postseason games, he has hit .272 (25-for-92) with five home runs, 19 RBI and 13 walks for a .373 on-base percentage.  He led the Rangers with a .328 batting average (19-for-58) while starting all 17 postseason games during the club’s run to the World Series in 2011.

Carpenter, 27, opened the 2012 season on the disabled list after undergoing surgery to remove a bone spur in his right elbow on March 29.  Before joining the Red Sox as a September call-up, he posted a combined 2.08 ERA in 21 appearances between the Gulf Coast League Red Sox, Greenville, Portland and Pawtucket. With Pawtucket alone, Carpenter pitched to a 1.15 ERA with four saves in four chances in 16 games.  He finished the season making eight relief appearances for Boston, and earned his lone win, the first of his major league career, on September 14 at Toronto.

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  • Xander Bogaerts

    Well, that Theo compensation didn’t work out to well.

  • Anonymous

     Are they sure? Are they really sure?

  • http://twitter.com/JLFCASH John Fahrer

    Compensation for managers or execs usually never is anything significant. Randy Winn for Piniella is the closest thing to a decent trade off but it’s not like he was a perennial all-star.

    Chances are Carpenter will clear waivers and be outrighted to AAA. We also obtained another player in that deal. But probably don’t have high expectations for him either.

  • http://twitter.com/JLFCASH John Fahrer

    Positive. He’s on the 40 man roster and good to go.

  • Average fan’s conscience

    Avascular nercrosis, same condition as Bo Jackson but in early stages. Yes it happens, but it’s also a result of prolonged steroid use. Bo’s massive dislocation from his football injury, at least people saw it happen. A baseball player just having this happen out of the blue? Not saying that he used it but shrinking in size in his player picture is concerning. Could be from lack of working out due to taking it easy with injury. In addition, if no side effects, caught in early stage, and taking medication for it….why settle for such a slash in contract price? Questions come up, that’s all. If he is the player he’s been when healthy, I’m happy to have his bat in the lineup. 

  • Average fan’s conscience

    plus it’s in both hips

  • Average fan’s conscience

    plus it’s in both hips

  • dave in nh

    I knew they should have made the cubs eat lackey’s contract as compensation for theo, but no, the usual incompetence prevailed on yawkey way, so they got a guy who was injured all last year, now he’s been dfa’d. nice work ben!! What will it take to pry billy beane from the a’s?

  • Sonic

    Most probable scenario is that Lavarnway starts the season at AAA as a first baseman, getting AB’s and playing the field as a fall back plan for Napoli.

  • Kingkelly

    It’s good to have Nap on board FINALLY, with incentives for him and low risk for the Red Sox.

    Let’s also hope Carpenter clears waivers, so we can invite him to Ft Myers on a AAA contract.  His minor league numbers in the Sox organization warrant a longer look.  It is unlikely he would make the April active roster unless we trade some of our surplus of pen guys.  Or, maybe Ben can work a trade for Carpenter to get somebody back who doesn’t need a 40 man roster spot. 
     
    The Epstein compensation saga was everything it seemed to be and less. It was the last chapter in the thumb-in-your-eye melodrama between Larry Lu and Theo, with braying and clucking by and for Ownership. A call for compensation was fine at first, assuming the Cubs wanted Theo to be their GM.  Cubs owner Tom Ricketts countered by fattening Theo’s offer up to “Team President,” Larry Lu’s title here (CHECK),  Then, he retrieved one of Theo’s old protege Jed Hoyer from the Padres to be Cubs GM, removing all doubt that Epstein’s position was no lateral move (MATE). 

    At that point, the Cubs were offering a routine promotion for a successful, long serving Front Office guy (9 yrs as Red Sox GM, 2 World Series titles, 1 yr left on his contract), whose career ladder was blocked at his current organization (with Larry entrenched on the next rung on Theo’s career ladder). The classy move and accepted MLB protocol would have been to release him from the final yr and wish him well in Chicago. 

    It is frankly astounding that we got ANY compensation.  In most baseball cities, the Sox brass looked like spoiled, entitled rich guys demanding special treatment. The flap just added to the lingering turmoil and bad taste after the 2011 team collapse and Francona smear.  Continuing to moan about it bySox fans might make us look like just another branch on the entitlement tree. 

  • Wes’s wife

    Yes he is our first baseman. Nice work Ben. What a joke this team is. 

  • CMoney38

    The move that really irks me, is letting Josh Fields get scooped in the rule % draft. They chose to protect Hassan OF instead. Theres no way anyone would have kept Hassan on their ML roster all year. Fields may end up being the Astros CL lmao.

  • CMoney38

     Carpenter will get claimed by someone. He’s decent bullpen depth….

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