As an LHB Hamilton also makes a natural platoon partner for Gomez. In these days of twelve man pitching staffs it's a bit rough to carry a true platoon at first base but That might be the plan.

I figure Napoli is still the plan. But Hamilton/Gomez isn't the worst backup plan ever. I like it better than LaRoche, certainly. You can carry a platoon more easily if one of the guys can do double-duty as a backup, and Hamilton has a little bit of flexibility there.

The only rumor out there involving the Sox is that we sent some folks to the DR to work out Javier Vazquez as he pitches in winter ball. Vazquez was very good in Florida in his final season and struck me as someone who retired with quite a bit left in the tank. If he's still got his Florida velocity (several mph above what he threw in New York in 2011), he's too good to pass up on a one-year deal. Sure, it would give the Sox six starters who deserve a role, but that's a problem that works itself out 90 times out of 100. I doubt it would destroy Doubront's development if he only started 20 games next year.

We got Josh Hamilton????!!!! Billy Hamilton??!! Luke Skywalker?...!

Oh, this guy. Well, an interesting enough change of scenery guy, I guess. Not very excited about him. I really wish they'd have had a shot at Berkman, but it seems like he wanted to play in Texas. Morales would have been okay too.

[Hamilton] hasn't played a full season of ball since 2007. I'm guessing he's significanly injury-prone, but a quick google didn't turn up much information.

BP injury list, unless otherwise specified:

2008: Fractured left wrist in July, ended his season.
2009: Groin strain, followed by another groin strain. Missed a little more than a month, combined.
2010: Missed 3 weeks for a hand injury, 7 weeks for a groin strain.
2011: Missed 2 weeks for an undisclosed injury.
2012: Missed the first month with a quad injury (scout.com). Reportedly moved to the outfield, to free up 1B at AAA for Matt Adams.

I figure Napoli is still the plan. But Hamilton/Gomez isn't the worst backup plan ever. I like it better than LaRoche, certainly. You can carry a platoon more easily if one of the guys can do double-duty as a backup, and Hamilton has a little bit of flexibility there.

Hamilton seems like a good bench player for a team with Napoli at first base more so than a real platoon option.

Wasn't sure where to put this...

Arb-avoiding one-year agreements signed today:

Ellsbury: $9MM ($8.1 arb award projected at MLBTR)
Hanrahan: $7.04MM ($6.9)
Bailey: $4.1MM ($3.9)
Aceves: $2.65MM plus incentives ($2.6)
Bard: $1.8625MM ($1.6)
Morales: $1.4875MM ($1.4)
Miller: $1.475MM ($1.4)

That's in addition to the previous deal for:
Saltalamacchia: $4.5MM ($3.9MM)

I haven't heard anything about (with MLBTR projected amounts):
Craig Breslow - $2.4MM (though, hilariously, MLBTR says Breslow and the team have exchanged numbers; the player's number was $2.375MM and the team's was $2.325MM... yes really)
Ryan Sweeney - $1.8MM
Rich Hill - $1.1MM
Scott Atchison - $800K

I think Sweeney, Hill, and Atchison were non-tendered

Feel pretty good about my half-assed arb estimates. I nailed Ellsbury ($9M), missed a million high on Bailey ($5M / $4.1 actual), a million low on Salty ($3.5M, $4.5M actual), and missed a little low on the other relievers (Breslow, Bard, Aceves, Miller, Morales - guessed $9M, $10M actual).

With those arb numbers added in, Napoli's contract cut to $5M, and some half-million estimates for the pre-arb guys, I have the Red Sox actual 2013 payroll estimated at $153M, and luxury tax payroll estimated to $144M. You want $8M in wiggle room in case Napoli plays a full season, but the Sox are in no danger of going over the luxury tax threshold ($178M) this season. I know that's the news you wanted.

I have the Sox 2014 luxury tax payroll, with arb awards, estimated to $116M. That's with holes at CF, 1B, SS, and one or two relievers. The Sox would have about $60M to spend to fill those holes. (The free agent market is pretty bleak for position players, however.)

I know how the system works and all, but it still seems kind of nutty that Ellsbury can have a year like he had and get a 10% raise.

Did they offer Sweeney arb?

I have the Sox 2014 luxury tax payroll, with arb awards, estimated to $116M. That's with holes at CF, 1B, SS, and one or two relievers. The Sox would have about $60M to spend to fill those holes. (The free agent market is pretty bleak for position players, however.)

The Sox have a reasonably good chance, entering the 2013 off-season, of being able to fill three of those holes with very young, very inexpensive players:

CF: Bradley
SS: Bogaerts
RP: Alex Wilson

In terms of 1B and bullpen - I think 2013 is a big year for Travis Shaw. I saw him play in AA towards the end of last season, and I can understand both why some people think highly of him...as well as why many others do not see him as a solution at 1B for the parent club. He pretty clearly has advanced plate discipline, and he very big. He strikes out a lot, in part, because counts get deep with him, but I'm not sure there's a big leaguer there.

Is there another bat in the system that could be moved to 1B in preparation for 2014 and/or beyond?

Is there another bat in the system that could be moved to 1B in preparation for 2014 and/or beyond?

The guy that I think bears watching is Michael Almanzar. He has struggled in his minor league career until last year but he's still got some growing (both physically and maturity-wise) to do. Physically he is somewhat reminiscent of where Middlebrooks was a few years ago, tall and thin but with a frame that looks like it can add some bulk. Last year at minor league camp he was the guy who jumped out at me with his ability to drive the ball the other way in BP.

The Sox invested a bunch of money in him when they signed him ($1.5 mil) so obviously they saw some talent there. IFor what it's worth Middlebrooks had a .770 OPS at Salem as a 21 year old (2010), Almanzar at the same age and level last year had an .812 OPS.

I think Sweeney, Hill, and Atchison were non-tendered

That makes sense. I feel like I remember hearing that about Sweeney and now that you mention it, my dad was pissed off about something to do with Atchison a week or two back, so that fits.


"Breslow gets 2 years plus option with Boston. Guaranteed $6.25m. Max on deal is $10.15m. Pending physical."
https://twitter.com/TBrownYahoo/status/292710996324257792


That's... a lot for a LOOGY. 130 appearances, 122 IP last 2 seasons. Career 3.7 BB/9, 7.8 K/9, 2.13 K/BB. In other news, Scott Atchison will turn 37 this spring?

How does this:

Craig Breslow - $2.4MM (though, hilariously, MLBTR says Breslow and the team have exchanged numbers; the player's number was $2.375MM and the team's was $2.325MM... yes really)

make any sense with this:

"Breslow gets 2 years plus option with Boston. Guaranteed $6.25m. Max on deal is $10.15m. Pending physical."
https://twitter.com/TBrownYahoo/status/292710996324257792

So they were trying both at about $2.4M for a year and then decided instead to do 2 years, at $3.1M per?

That's... a lot for a LOOGY. 130 appearances, 122 IP last 2 seasons.

122 IP over two seasons doesn't sound like a Loogy--sounds like a guy who's shouldering the load of a setup man, with some occasional Loogy-like appearances. Plus, he's got pretty neutral splits over the past 3 years.

So they were trying both at about $2.4M for a year and then decided instead to do 2 years, at $3.1M per?

He's arb-eligible next year, so they bought it out. Probably was due for a nice raise next year. It also has an option for a 3rd year at $10M total.

Edes clarifies. It looks like a raise but it buys out at least a year of FA.

The Napoli ST thread is closed, so I can't put it there. But in the press conference introducing Napoli as a member of the Red Sox, they said Napoli has AVN. For those keeping score at home, that's what led to Bo Jackson's hip replacement.

They say Napoli is fine, not showing any symptoms, and receiving treatment nonetheless. A one-year deal sounds about right.

. . . Napoli has AVN

From the always reliable Wikipedia:

Proposed risk factors include, chemotherapy, alcoholism, excessive steroid use, post trauma,[caisson disease (decompression sickness),vascular compression, hypertension, vasculitis, arterial embolism and thrombosis, damage from radiation, bisphosphonates (particularly the mandible), sickle cell anaemia, Gaucher's Disease, and deep diving.[emphasis added, footnotes omitted]

Total Hip Replacement is listed as a common treatment. I'd be worried he'll be using a cane by the end of the season, but the Red Sox medical staff must know what they're doing, no?

For those keeping score at home, that's what led to Bo Jackson's hip replacement.

wait. are you suggesting bo jackson used steroids?!?

Proposed risk factors include, chemotherapy, alcoholism, excessive steroid use, post trauma,[caisson disease (decompression sickness),vascular compression, hypertension, vasculitis, arterial embolism and thrombosis, damage from radiation, bisphosphonates (particularly the mandible), sickle cell anaemia, Gaucher's Disease, and deep diving.[emphasis added, footnotes omitted]

Proposed risk factors include, chemotherapy, alcoholism, excessive steroid use, post trauma,[caisson disease (decompression sickness),vascular compression, hypertension, vasculitis, arterial embolism and thrombosis, damage from radiation, bisphosphonates (particularly the mandible), sickle cell anaemia, Gaucher's Disease, and deep diving.[emphasis added, footnotes omitted]

but the Red Sox medical staff must know what they're doing, no?

Not a truer word was ever spo.....bwaaa, ha, ha, ha....

Can we at least assume that having this IN BOTH HIPS will mean that they will limit him to 1B/DH duties?

One would hope.

I'd like this better if there were some kind of option for the Sox to keep him beyond 2013. It just feels like the best to hope for is a Beltre or Esasky season then he leaves. I'd be more enthused if such a season left the Sox in a position to keep him for another year at some reasonable facsimile of market value.

Napoli has a degenerative condition in both hips. This is his maximum market value.

I'd like this better if there were some kind of option for the Sox to keep him beyond 2013.

Seems like the QO would effectively serve as a 1 year option if they ended up wanting to use it. Even if he has a phenomenal season, who is going to sign him at the cost of a first round pick when he has the AVN in both hips?

damage from radiation

The radioactive spider didn't take, maybe these gamma treatments will.

Proposed risk factors include, chemotherapy, alcoholism, excessive steroid use, post trauma,[caisson disease (decompression sickness),vascular compression, hypertension, vasculitis, arterial embolism and thrombosis, damage from radiation, bisphosphonates (particularly the mandible), sickle cell anaemia, Gaucher's Disease, and deep diving.[emphasis added, footnotes omitted]

He did spend all those years sitting behind Jeff Mathis.

Napoli has a degenerative condition in both hips. This is his maximum market value.

This is his market value now, but if he stays healthy and hits 35 homers he's going to get more than that next year. Dan's point about a Qualifying Offer is a good one. That probably does act as a de facto option for the Sox.

All these jokes pulled from the Wikipedia page, and nobody read it?

Know who else was diagnosed mid-career (early 30's) with AVN, besides Napoli and Bo? Brett Favre.

Proposed risk factors include, chemotherapy, alcoholism, excessive steroid use, post trauma,[caisson disease (decompression sickness),vascular compression, hypertension, vasculitis, arterial embolism and thrombosis, damage from radiation, bisphosphonates (particularly the mandible), sickle cell anaemia, Gaucher's Disease, and deep diving.[emphasis added, footnotes omitted]

Not sure if it will work if he can't catch, but Napoli might have been the bridge from the Pitchers of Beer (and chIcken) to the rest of the clubhouse.

BTW, if read Wikipedia correctly, Favre's AVN was first spotted when he was traded to Green Bay at age 22, so Napoli may not be doomed after all. Going to be tough to make up the money he already lost though.

Lyle Overbay gets an NRI. How is his defense? My recollection is he's good but not great though probably better than Napoli. If he's got anything left in the tank he could be an occasional PH and defensive replacement I guess.

I was wondering when they were going to bring in some veteran 1B depth. So now they have Napoli, Overbay, Gomez, and that Mark Hamilton mentioned on the first page of this thread (plus David Ortiz).

All this money still burning a hole in their pockets, and it looks like the Sox don't want to spend it on Lester. Predictions?

The Sox have a $13M option on Lester for 2014. Why would they start talking extension now?

There's one good reason for doing it: if they truly view 2013/14 as a bridge, then locking up guys like Pedroia and Lester long-term would make sense. This would allow them to lower the AAV for the years 2014 and beyond. So, say you wanted to extend Lester for 4/72 (?), waiting until 2015 to do so means his contract will have a AAV of 18M. If you do it now, 2013 and 2014 get averaged in and it's only $16M.

It's not like the Sox have said they won't do it, they just haven't done it. I think MCoA is probably right about why it's not a front burner issue but all Lester said is they haven't approached him. It would be more meaningful if he said "we asked the Sox to talk extension and they said to wait until next winter" or something like that.