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Napoli, Cherington Discuss Contract, Health

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Mike Napoli’s hip condition led to a restructured contract and what he described today as “a pretty tough offseason.” But avascular necrosis (AVN), the condition affecting both of Napoli’s hips, hasn’t diminished his expectations for 2013. The recently-discovered condition has been symptomless, and was caught at an early stage.

“We’re moving in a good direction and I feel like we’ve got that behind us and are ready to go,” Napoli said on a conference call with reporters this afternoon.

Napoli’s one-year, $5MM contract with the Red Sox includes incentives that can boost the value of the deal to $13MM. The sides readjusted their initial three-year, $39MM agreement after Napoli’s physical revealed that he has AVN. 

The 31-year-old said he was initially “shocked” to discover that he had the condition. He played through it in 2012, when he hit 24 home runs, and the Red Sox expect he can be similarly productive this coming season. They’ll rely on Napoli at first base because they want him to stay healthy and they already have ample catching depth.

“There’s no reason Mike Napoli won’t be our primary first baseman in 2013,” Boston general manager Ben Cherington said. “That’s what we’re counting on.”

The Red Sox would be comfortable relying on Napoli as a catcher, Cherington added. That said, the team wanted to add offense at first base given the presence of catchers Jarrod Saltalamacchia, David Ross and Ryan Lavarnway. On offense, Cherington expects Napoli will see pitches, get on base and hit for power — especially given Fenway Park’s dimensions.

Napoli said he expects playing first base will be easier on his body than catching, and that he plans to be ready on Opening Day. After consulting with many doctors he started taking medication for AVN, which has also affected prominent athletes such as Bo Jackson and Brett Favre. 

Napoli remained a free agent after the initial deal caused a delay, and other teams inquired about the possibility of signing him. Agent Brian Grieper of Paragon Sports International said he listened to interested teams and outlined different options to Napoli. However, the Red Sox were patient and supportive throughout the process, Grieper said. While Napoli initially sought a multiyear deal, he wanted to play in Boston instead of returning to the Rangers or signing with another club.

“I had a great two years in Texas and enjoyed my time there,” he said. “The best fit for me was in Boston.”

It took a while, but the unexpectedly lengthy process led to a deal that has both sides looking ahead hopefully at the 2013 season.

AL East Notes: Napoli, Red Sox, Price, Saltalamacchia

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Here’s a look at the latest out of the AL East..

  • Alex Speier of WEEI.com has the details of Mike Napoli’s contract with the Red Sox.  The base of the deal is $5MM but incentives could boost the overall value to $13MM.  The catcher can either hit the $13MM mark by achieving benchmarks in days on the active roster and plate appearance bonuses or can simply nail a “catch all” by being on the active roster for more than 165 days.
  • The Rays would obviously like to keep ace David Price in the fold, but they may not be able to hold on to him long-term.  Price says that he would like to find middle ground with the Rays on a contract extension, but cautions that he won’t “sell himself short”, writes Yahoo’s Tim Brown.  The American League Cy Young Award winner is set to hit the open market three seasons from now.
  • The Red Sox have a logjam behind the plate but they have yet to ask Jarrod Saltalamacchia about playing first base in 2013, writes Rob Bradford of WEEI.com.  For his part, Salty says that he feels that catcher is his natural position.  The 27-year-old would appear to be a trade candidate given Boston’s surplus.

Red Sox Designate Chris Carpenter For Assignment

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The Red Sox announced that they designated right-hander Chris Carpenter for assignment. The move creates roster space for Mike Napoli, whose one-year deal is now official.

The Red Sox acquired Carpenter as compensation for Theo Epstein last February. The 27-year-old pitched in eight games for Boston this past season, allowing six earned runs in as many innings. He also pitched at the minor league level, posting a 2.08 ERA with 10.4 K/9 and 4.2 BB/9 in 21 2/3 innings. Carpenter missed time to undergo surgery to remove bone spur from his right elbow in 2012.

Red Sox To Sign Mike Napoli

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It took a while, but the Red Sox have officially signed Mike Napoli. The sides have completed a one-year deal worth $5MM plus incentives. The Paragon Sports International client could earn up to $13MM in 2013.

Mike Napoli - Rangers (PW)

The sides had agreed to a three-year, $39MM contract earlier in the offseason, but the deal didn’t go through as expected. Napoli has a hip issue that prompted the Red Sox to seek protective language in the deal.

However, the 31-year-old remained a top first base target for Boston throughout the process. Despite the hip issue, Napoli expects to be ready for Opening Day, according to Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. Napoli drew interest from other teams after the initial delay in finalizing the agreement. Meanwhile, the Red Sox considered other options for first base such as Adam LaRoche and Michael Morse.

The Rangers had re-opened talks with Napoli, ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM's Ben Rogers reports. The Red Sox could offer more playing time, however, and he ended up agreeing to terms with Boston.

Napoli posted a .227/.343/.469 batting line in 2012, reaching the 20-home plateau for the fifth consecutive season with 24. The right-handed hitter made the All-Star team for the first time in his career, but missed time with a quadriceps injury. Ultimately Napoli fell short of the career-best numbers he posted in 2011: 30 home runs and a .320/.414/.631 batting line. The Red Sox project to rely on Napoli as their primary first baseman, but he did catch 72 games with Texas in 2012. 

Napoli ranked 14th on MLBTR's list of top 50 free agents entering the offseason. He wasn't linked to draft pick compensation, as the Rangers decided not to make him a qualifying offer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Rob Bradford of WEEI.com first reported the agreement, and the value of the incentives. Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com first reported the value of the guarantee (Twitter links).

NL Notes: Braves, Reds, Pirates, Duda, Chipper

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It was on this date in 1871 the Boston Red Stockings incorporated giving birth to today's Atlanta Braves. Let's take a look at the news from the 21st century Braves and the rest of the National League:

  • The Braves have enough payroll space to add one significant salary and have yet to rule out Michael Bourn or Justin Upton, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. O'Brien adds GM Frank Wren has spoken with Bourn's agent Scott Boras, but they didn't start any negotiations. O'Brien also has been told manager Fredi Gonzalez contacted Bourn within the past few weeks. In regards to Upton, O'Brien sees the Braves and Rangers as the last two teams standing, but neither seems willing to match what the Mariners offered in their failed bid to acquire the outfielder.
  • O'Brien, via Twitter, discounts the suggestion the Braves have yet to acquire Bourn or Upton to save payroll in order to sign Martin Prado to a long-term deal. 
  • It's been nearly a decade since the Reds had to go to an arbitration hearing, but this year could be different, writes MLB.com's Mark Sheldon. "We're hopeful we can get something done," Reds GM Walt Jocketty said of the six players with whom salary figures were exchanged. "Some of the spreads were significant. We'll see how it proceeds the next week or two." The Reds' arbitration class is headlined by Mat Latos, whose case was analyzed by MLBTR's Matt Swartz last week. You can keep track of all of the Reds' arbitration cases with MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker.
  • With the Red Sox still seeking a left-handed hitting first baseman/left fielder, Tom Singer of MLB.com wonders if the Pirates will make another run at Jose Iglesias, as the starting point of a bigger deal involving Garrett Jones (Twitter links).
  • There is still no clear-cut answer as to whether Francisco Liriano will be with the Pirates in 2013, tweets Singer. The Pirates and Liriano agreed to a two-year, $12.75MM contract in December, but the deal was put on hold earlier this month when it was discovered the left-hander injured his right arm.
  • Lucas Duda told Adam Rubin of ESPNNewYork.com his surgically repaired right wrist feels great and he has started hitting off a tee. Duda is projected to man left field for the Mets.
  • Chipper Jones was honored at the New York BBWAA dinner last night and confessed to the audience he was starting to get the itch to go back to Spring Training, Rubin reports. "I was on the Braves' web site, just kind of messing around on my computer," said Jones. "I was thinking to myself, 'You know what? I think I'm going to go down and get me a workout in, see how everything feels.' I was down there for about five minutes and I figured I'd go to Hawaii instead."

Cafardo On Red Sox, A’s, Mariners, Stanton, Bourn

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Part of the Red Sox's internal evaluation has been trying to figure out why they haven't done better on trades, writes Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.  “It’s fair to say we have examined that,” said General Manager Ben Cherington. “I think it’s part of a bigger examination of our evaluation and decision-making process. As with most examinations, adjustments will likely be subtle but real and likely implemented over time.”  Boston has explored many trades this offseason, including one with the Marlins that would have netted them Jose Reyes and Josh Johnson.  Of course, another AL East team beat them to the punch.  Here's more from today's column..

  • The A's Brandon Moss would have been a perfect fit as the left-handed complement to Jonny Gomes in left field and Mike Napoli at first base, but GM Billy Beane gave a resounding “no” when asked whether he would move Moss.  The first baseman/outfielder has come a long way from his journeyman status prior to last year. 
  • Speaking of the A's, their acquisition of John Jaso eliminates them as a possible destination for the Red Sox's Jarrod Saltalamacchia, but that doesn’t eliminate the possibility that Salty is dealt somewhere, either before or during spring training. There are still teams with catching needs, including the Mariners who would like some extra support for Jesus Montero.
  • There continues to be rumblings that the Marlins will deal Giancarlo Stanton if the price is right and some wonder whether the Rays have the assets to make it happen.  The Rays have lots of pitching prospects heading toward the majors plus highly-regarded outfielder Wil Myers.
  • The Mets are not out of the picture on Michael Bourn if the price and length of commitment come down. Cafardo wonders aloud if the Blue Jays could be a long shot if they trade Colby Rasmus.  

Quick Hits: Wilson, Giants, Upton, Hill, Red Sox

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Condolences go out to the family and friends of Hall of Famer Stan Musial, who passed away this afternoon according to the Cardinals. He was 92. Stan the Man was a .331/.417/.559 career hitter who slugged 475 homers and was thrice named league MVP during his 22 seasons with St. Louis.

Here's the latest from around the league as Saturday turns into Sunday…

  • “I’m going to be brutally honest as I always am, I don’t [think Brian Wilson will return],” said Giants GM Brian Sabean to Anthony Sulla-Heffinger of The New York Post. Sabean acknowledged talking to Wilson's agent about a low-base salary, incentive-laden contract prior to non-tendering him.
  • Some teams interested in acquiring Justin Upton have been struggling to get a response from the Diamondbacks according to ESPN's Buster Olney (on Twitter). There's plenty of interest, but offers haven't been easy to make.
  • Rich Hill told reporters (including Brian MacPherson of The Providence Journal and Scott Lauber of The Boston Herald) that he is confident he'll find a big league contract on the open market (Twitter links). The lefty reliever has not talked about returning to the Red Sox on a minor league deal.
  • Larry Stone of The Seattle Times took an updated look at the Mariners' payroll, which currently sits just north of $78MM according to his calculations.

Quick Hits: Soriano, Cubs, Wieters, Blue Jays

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Alfonso Soriano has been on the pages of MLBTR quite a bit over the last year, but if the outfielder has anything to say about it, he'll remain with the Cubs.  "I want to stay here and finish my career here and try to win before I retire," Soriano said, according to MLB.com's Carrie Muskat. "I signed here to bring a World Series winner to Chicago. It's been a long time since they won a World Series. That's my dream. I hope to stay here, and when they win, I want to be part of that team."  Here's more from around baseball..

  • Orioles catcher Matt Wieters wasn't too sure that he would reach agreement with the club on a new deal before today's deadline, but he's relieved that they did, writes Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com.  Wieters and the O's came to terms on a one-year, $5.5MM pact to avoid arbitration.
  • Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports examined the six worst teams in the American League in 2012 and looked at what steps they've taken to improve in the New Year.  The Blue Jays have obviously done a great deal to reverse their fortunes, but Morosi does have some concern about how the stars will mesh with one another.
  • Alex Speier of WEEI.com broke down the Red Sox's payroll commitments over the next three years to see how much breathing room they presently have.
  • The Dodgers are leaning towards moving their television broadcasts over to Time Warner Cable starting in 2014, people familiar with the matter tell Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times.  The Dodgers' lucrative television potential fueled their record-breaking sale and historic spending in 2012.

Players Avoiding Arbitration: Friday

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Dozens of players will agree to terms with their respective teams today and avoid arbitration. We'll have detailed posts on the top earners around MLB, and we'll track more modest agreements — those worth less than $4MM — right here. MLBTR's Arbitration Tracker will have all of the details.

Teams had until 12pm CDT today to exchange filing numbers with their arbitration eligible players. Generally speaking the deadline creates lots of discussion and leads to early deals. Plus, for ‘file and trial’ teams this marks the final chance for negotiations in advance of a hearing. Here are the latest agreements from around MLB…

  • The Padres announced that they have avoided arbitration with Edinson Volquez.  Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
  • The Red Sox announced that they avoided arbitration with Andrew Bailey ($4.1MM), Daniel Bard ($1.8625MM), Andrew Miller ($1.475MM), and Franklin Morales ($1.4875MM).  Terms courtesy of WEEI.com's Rob Bradford.
  • The Mets and Bobby Parnell avoided arb with a $1.7MM deal, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).
  • The Red Sox avoided arbitration with Alfredo Aceves, agreeing to a deal worth $2.65MM plus incentives, according to O'Connell Sports Management, Aceves' agency (on Twitter via Jon Heyman).
  • The Cubs avoided arbitration with James Russell and Jeff Samardzija, Jesse Rogers of ESPNChicago.com reports (on Twitter). Samardzija obtains $2.64MM while Russell gets $1.075MM, Bruce Levine of ESPNChicago.com reports (on Twitter).
  • The Diamondbacks announced that they avoided arbitration with Chris Johnson ($2.2875MM). The team also avoided arbitration with Brad Ziegler ($3.15MM), agreeing to a one-year deal, ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reports (on Twitter).  Terms courtesy of Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic (on Twitter).
  • The Nationals announced that they agreed to terms with Tyler Clippard, avoiding arbitration (via Amanda Comak on Twitter). The Nationals avoided arbitration with Ian Desmond, agreeing to a one-year, $3.8MM deal, Amanda Comak of the Washington Times reports (on Twitter). The Nationals also avoided arb with Roger Bernadina according to the outfielder's agent, James Wagner of the Washington Post reports (on Twitter). The Nationals and Ross Detwiler agreed to a one-year, $2.3375MM contract, according to CAA (via Twitter).
  • Brennan Boesch and Phil Coke avoided arbitration, agreeing to one-year deals with the Tigers, Jason Beck of MLB.com reports (on Twitter). Boesch will earn $2.3MM while Coke will earn $1.85MM. The Tigers also avoided arbitration with Alex Avila, agreeing to a one-year, $2.95MM deal, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (all Twitter links). Austin Jackson agreed to a deal worth $3.5MM for 2013, Heyman reports. Doug Fister obtained a one-year, $4MM deal from Detroit, Heyman reports.
  • The Dodgers and A.J. Ellis avoided arbitration, agreeing to a one-year, $2MM deal, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). Ronald Belisario agreed to a one-year, $1.45MM deal, MLB.com's Ken Gurnick reports (on Twitter).
  • The Mariners announced that they avoided arbitration with Kendrys Morales and Brendan Ryan on one-year agreements for 2013. Morales will obtain $5.25MM plus performance bonuses, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter). Ryan obtained $3.25MM, Heyman reports (on Twitter).
  • The Rockies avoided arb with Tyler Colvin, agreeing to a one-year deal, the team announced (on Twitter). Colvin will earn $2.275MM, Troy Renck of the Denver Post writes (on Twitter).
  • The Braves avoided arbitration with Cristhian Martinez, agreeing to a one-year deal, MLB.com's Mark Bowman reports (on Twitter). The Braves avoided arb with Kris Medlen, David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal Constitution reports (on Twitter). Medlen will earn $2.6MM in 2013. They also avoided arb with Jason Heyward, agreeing to a one-year, $3.65MM deal, Bowman reports (onTwitter). The Braves agreed with another young player, avoiding arb with Jonny Venters, O'Brien reports (on Twitter). It's a $1.625MM deal. Earlier today the Braves agreed to a one-year deal with Eric O'Flaherty, avoiding arbitration, Bowman reported (on Twitter). He'll earn $4.32MM plus awards bonuses, Bowman adds.
  • The Athletics announced they avoided arb with Jerry Blevins and Brandon Moss, agreeing to one-year deals for 2013.
  • The Cardinals avoided arb with Mitchell Boggs and Edward Mujica, B.J. Rains of FOX Sports MidWest reports (on Twitter).
  • The Indians announced that they avoided arb with Matt Albers and Justin Masterson. Albers will earn $1.75MM in 2013, MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports (on Twitter). Masterson will earn $5.6875MM according to Bastian (on Twitter). The Indians and Joe Smith avoided arbitration with a one-year, $3.15MM deal, Bastian reported earlier today (on Twitter). The Indians also avoided arbitration with Lou Marson, Bastian reports (Twitter links). The catcher will earn $1MM on a one-year deal in 2013.
  • The Astros avoided arb with Wesley Wright, agreeing to a one-year deal, MLB.com's Brian McTaggart reports (on Twitter).  Wright will earn $1.025MM, according to Heyman (on Twitter). Earlier today the Astros and Bud Norris avoided arb with a one-year, $3MM deal, McTaggart reports (on Twitter). The Astros and Jed Lowrie avoided arbitration with a one-year, $2.4MM deal with awards bonuses, according to his representatives at CAA Baseball (on Twitter).
  • The White Sox announced that they avoided arbitration with Alejandro De Aza, agreeing to a $2.075MM deal for 2013. The White Sox also avoided arb with Gordon Beckham, agreeing to a one-year deal worth $2.925MM for 2013, MLBTR has learned.
  • The Orioles announced that they avoided arb with Chris Davis and Brian Matusz (Twitter link). Matusz gets a base salary of $1.6MM while Davis gets $3.3MM, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports (Twitter links). The Orioles also avoided arbitration with Troy Patton. The sides agreed to a one-year, $815K deal, his agency, CAA Sports, announced on Twitter. 
  • The Brewers avoided arb with right-hander Marco Estrada and reliever Burke Badenhop, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports (Twitter links). Estrada will earn $1.955MM while Badenhop will earn $1.55MM, Haudricourt reports.
  • The Rays avoided arbitration with Matthew Joyce and Ryan Roberts, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports (on Twitter). Joyce will earn $2.45MM and Roberts will earn $2.95MM plus incentives, the Rays announced. The Rays also avoided arbitration with Sam Fuld, agreeing to a one-year, $725K deal, Topkin reported (on Twitter). Earlier today the Rays avoided arbitration with Jeff Niemann. The sides agreed to a one-year, $3MM deal, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).
  • The Royals announced that they avoided arbitration with Luke Hochevar, agreeing to a one-year deal for 2013. Hochevar will earn $4.56MM plus performance bonuses, Pete Grathoff of the Kansas City Star reports (on Twitter).
  • The Yankees avoided arb with Boone Logan, agreeing to a one-year, $3.15MM deal (via CAA Sports on Twitter).
  • The Padres avoided arb with John Baker, agreeing to a $930K deal (via CAA Sports on Twitter).
  • The Twins and Brian Duensing avoided arb with a $1.3MM deal for 2013 (via CAA Sports on Twitter).
  • The Marlins avoided arbitration with Ryan Webb, agreeing to a $975K deal, Clark Spencer of the Miami Herald reports (on Twitter).
  • The Blue Jays announced that they avoided arbitration with Emilio Bonifacio by agreeing to a one-year, $2.6MM deal. The Blue Jays also announced that they avoided arbitration with J.A. Happ, agreeing to a one-year, $3.7MM deal for 2013.
  • The Angels and Tommy Hanson avoided arbitration with a one-year, $3.725MM deal, Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register reports. 
  • The Giants avoided arb with Gregor Blanco, agreeing to a one-year, $1.35MM deal, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (on Twitter).
  • The Phillies announced that they avoided arbitration with Antonio Bastardo with a $1.4MM contract for 2013.
  • Gaby Sanchez and the Pirates have reached agreement on a one-year, $1.75MM deal plus bonuses to avoid arbitration, according to the Beverly Hills Sports Council (on Twitter).

Red Sox, Joel Hanrahan Avoid Arbitration

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The Red Sox and Joel Hanrahan avoided arbitration with a one-year deal worth $7.04MM, MLBTR's Tim Dierkes has learned. Hanrahan, a Reynolds Sports Management client, will earn 15K for completing 45 games, 50 games, 55 games and 60 games.

Acquired from Pittsburgh in a trade last month, Hanrahan had a projected salary of $6.9MM. The 31-year-old had been arbitraiton eligible for the third and final time following a season in which he saved 36 games and posted a 2.72 ERA with 10.1 K/9 and 5.4 BB/9 in 59 2/3 innings. He remains on track to hit free agency next offseason.

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