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Mike Napoli

Red Sox Close To Deal With Mike Napoli

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9:59am: While no financial details have been reported on the deal Napoli and the Sox are working toward, Abraham tweets that it sounds as if Boston paid a larger annual salary to get a three-year contract done, rather than a four-year pact.

9:38am: The Red Sox are closing in on an agreement with Mike Napoli, according to WEEI.com's Rob Bradford. Bradford reports that the deal would likely be for three years. Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe had reported earlier this morning that the Sox were "working hard" to land Napoli (Twitter link), while Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe says (via Twitter) that Sox officials are talking about Napoli as if he's part of the team.

Napoli had a down year by his standards for the Rangers in 2012, hitting .227/.343/.469. However, he has a career .863 OPS, and is one season removed from a .320/.414/.631 line. While Boston likely doesn't expect him to produce at that level again, the team would make him its primary first base option, according to Bradford. Cafardo tweets that the 31-year-old would also catch occasionally if he joins the Sox.

Napoli ranked 14th on MLBTR's list of 2012's top 50 free agents.

Originally published on December 3rd at 9:39am.

Quick Hits: Mariners, Red Sox, Cabrera, Greinke

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The Mariners are looking for offense and are "in on everybody", a rival GM tells Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  That includes big fish like Josh Hamilton and Justin Upton and they're also considering Mike Napoli and Nick Swisher.  Cody Ross, Ryan Ludwick, and Mark Reynolds may also be fits in Seattle.  More from around baseball..

  • Red Sox President and CEO Larry Lucchino confirmed to Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (via Twitter) that the club hopes to sign Mike Napoli, though it has to be on a three-year deal, not a four-year deal.  Lucchino added that the club is in on Hamilton (Twitter link) but they won't go to six, seven, or eight years to make it happen.  It has been well documented that the Red Sox are leery of long-term deals as they look to spend responsibly going forward.
  • Asdrubal Cabrera has a six-team no-trade clause allowing him to block trades to the Yankees, Red Sox, Tigers, Nationals, Giants, Mets, a source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter).  The Indians have reportedly set the bar high in their demands for Cabrera and Shin-Soo Choo.
  • Zack Greinke's agent Casey Close told Heyman (via Twitter) that he'll know in the next 24-48 hours if a deal can get done in Nashville.  Close added that nothing is close for his client just yet.  Meanwhile, Braves GM Frank Wren says that it's "probably unlikely" that he will sign Greinke (Twitter link).
  • The market for Ryan Dempster may develop more this week with the Brewers, Diamondbacks, and Twins in the mix, Morosi tweets.  Jim Bowden of ESPN.com (via Twitter) classifies Dempster as the Brewers' top free agent target.
  • One source tells Bill Ladson of MLB.com that he wouldn't rule out the Nationals trading for a pitcher like James Shields of the Rays.  The Nats could potentially use Mike Morse in a deal for Shields as the Rays are in need of offense.

Catching Rumors: Napoli, Pierzynski, Rockies

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The Pirates recently agreed to sign Russell Martin to a two-year, $17MM contract. Here's the latest on some other MLB catchers…

  • The Yankees don't sound very interested in Mike Napoli or Pierzynski, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter).
  • The Mariners aren’t seriously interested in A.J. Pierzynski and the Yankees weren’t looking too closely at the free agent catcher before Martin agreed to sign in Pittsburgh, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports (all Twitter links). Heyman hears Pierzynski to the Dodgers is “not happening.” Heyman suggested yesterday that the Dodgers could have interest in Pierzynski.
  • The Rockies seem confident that Ramon Hernandez will rebound in 2013, so they might not have interest in pursuing veteran catching depth, Troy Renck of the Denver Post writes (on Twitter).

Quick Hits: Greinke, Twins, Martin, Napoli, Royals

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Several player agents tell Larry Stone of the Seattle Times that the Mariners' chances of attracting free agent hitters have improved now that Safeco Field's fences are being moved in.  That said, while the shorter fences will help, "players look at all of those factors, but in the end, it still comes down to where they can get the best contract. And it always will," one agent says.

Here are some items from a very busy day in baseball….

Red Sox Notes: LaRoche, Gonzalez, Ross, Aceves

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Here's the latest news from Fenway…

  • The Red Sox are talking to Adam LaRoche, reports Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com.  With the Sox reluctant to go beyond a three-year contract for Mike Napoli, LaRoche could be the team's fallback plan.  A three-year deal would top the Nationals' best offer to the free agent first baseman, as the Nats "have been fairly steadfast" in not offering LaRoche more than two years.  The Rangers have also been linked to both LaRoche and Napoli this offseason.
  • Also from Heyman's piece, he notes that the Red Sox have "checked in" on Alex Gonzalez and Stephen Drew, though Jose Iglesias will get first priority at shortstop.
  • Jacoby Ellsbury's name hasn't been mentioned in trade talks, team president Larry Lucchino said during an appearance on WEEI's Dennis & Callahan radio show today (partial transcript from WEEI.com's Kirk Minihane).  Lucchino also said that while the Sox haven't closed the door on any free agents, "what we have ruled out is the kind of long-term, gigantic commitment to players if at all possible….We are more concerned about years than we are dollars."
  • From that same radio appearance (courtesy of The Boston Herald's Scott Lauber), Lucchino said the team is still interested in re-signing Cody Ross.  Though Boston recently signed Jonny Gomes, Lucchino said the team wants to build "deep depth" after last year's injury-plagued season.
  • The Red Sox will tender Alfredo Aceves a new contract before tomorrow's non-tender deadline, reports Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald.  The pitching-needy Sox value Aceves' versatility as a starter and reliever too much to let him go for nothing, despite Aceves' disciplinary issues in 2012.  Lauber thinks Aceves could still possibly be a trade candidate.

Mike Napoli Rumors: Tuesday

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It's a good time to be a free agent catcher with power. Interest in Russell Martin remains strong, and the market for Mike Napoli seems similarly active. Here’s the latest on Napoli on a day that he had been scheduled to meet with the Rangers…

  • The Rangers remain focused on Napoli, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports (on Twitter). Their interest in Martin will increase only if Texas believes Napoli’s asking price is too high.
  • The Red Sox are in contact with Napoli, Nick Swisher and Cody Ross and all three free agents remain in play for Boston, Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com reports. Napoli, Swisher and Ross appear to be the top targets for the Red Sox, who seek help at first base and in the outfield. One executive said he views the Red Sox as the favorite to sign Napoli. Like Swisher, Napoli has the versatility to play multiple positions, a bonus for the Red Sox.

Quick Hits: Liriano, Napoli, Wright, Royals

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The Twins have had conversations with Francisco Liriano's representatives, a source with knowledge of the talks tells LaVelle E. Neal III of the Star Tribune.  The two sides are expected to meet next week during the winter meetings but General Manager Terry Ryan is keeping mum on potential targets for the club.  Here's more Tuesday night linkage..

  • The Rangers did not meet with Mike Napoli today, despite previous reports to the contrary, according to Jeff Wilson of the Star-Telegram.  However, the club is set to meet with the catcher tomorrow.  Earlier today it was reported that Napoli appears to be the Red Sox's top free agent target.
  • Ken Davidoff of the New York Post (Twitter links) reached out to David Wright after his comments earlier tonight to MLBTradeRumors.  The third baseman indicated that he was displeased with the public nature of his contract negotiations.  "I wish I could elaborate but it was important to me from the very beginning that these negotiations remain confidential and private. I plan on sticking to that. Sorry I can't comment any further," said Wright.
  • The Royals have discussed Wil Myers in trades for Rays right-hander James Shields and Red Sox left-hander Jon Lester, but Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports points out that the two hurlers aren't exactly equal.  The two are owed similar money through 2014 ($24.625MM for Lester and $21MM for Shields) but Shields has been much stronger in recent years.

Red Sox Notes: Ross, Napoli, Lester, Bailey

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The Red Sox and Royals have had some discussions about a trade centered around Jon Lester and Wil Myers, and that's not the only trade possibility for Ben Cherington to consider in the week leading up to the Winter Meetings. Here are the details from Boston…

  • Friends of Cody Ross believe the Red Sox are in the lead for the outfielder, ESPN.com's Buster Olney reports (on Twitter). Ross seeks a three-year deal and hasn't had new talks with the Red Sox in the last few days.
  • Mike Napoli appears to be Boston's top free agent target, Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald reports (on Twitter). In the words of Lauber's source, everyone else is "1A" behind Napoli.
  • The Red Sox haven't had discussions with Lester about a possible extension, Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports. The left-hander has one guaranteed year remaining on his contract with Boston. He'll earn $11.675MM in 2013 and his contract includes a $13MM option for 2014. Lester has said in the past that he'd be open to discussing an extension if the Red Sox are interested.
  • Rival teams say the Red Sox are open to dealing Andrew Bailey, Olney reports (on Twitter). However, the reliever’s trade value remains low, so it doesn’t appear likely that the Red Sox will move him. Olney reported last month that the Blue Jays considered acquiring Bailey for manager John Farrell.

West Notes: Teahen, Napoli, Padres

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Some Monday night links pertaining to baseball's two western divisions…

  • The Diamondbacks have signed Mark Teahen to a minor league deal with an invitation to Spring Training according to the Arizona Republic's Nick Piecoro (on Twitter). Teahen looked to have a bright future in the middle of the Royals' lineup back in 2006, but has seen his production steadily decline. He spent 2012 with the Nationals' Triple-A affiliate, batting .260/.328/.360 in 124 games.
  • The Rangers will meet with Mike Napoli on Tuesday to see where the two sides stand in regard to each other, writes Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. The Rangers elected not to extend a qualifying offer to Napoli due to his dip in production and because of the fact that he's viewed as more of a part-time catcher than someone who can catch 130+ games.
  • The Padres have had more discussions about trades than they have free agency, according to MLB.com's Corey Brock (on Twitter).
  • In a piece for MLB.com, Brock writes that the Padres would like to add two starting pitchers to their rotation this season, but quotes GM Josh Byrnes as saying they're not in a position to take fliers on injury risks. Brock speculates that Joe Blanton could be a fit for the Pads, which I agree makes sense for them.

Mike Napoli Rumors: Monday

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Free agent catcher Mike Napoli met with Boston executives over the weekend, though the Red Sox don't appear to have extended him a formal offer. Here are today’s Napoli-related rumors, with the most recent updates at the top:

  • Napoli and agent Brian Grieper are scheduled to meet with the Rangers this week, Richard Durrett of ESPNDallas.com reports. The meeting will likely take place on Wednesday.
  • The Mariners seek offense, experience and leadership and may be the best bet to offer Napoli the four-year deal he wants, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. The Mariners, who finished last in the American League in runs scored again, will almost certainly add other hitters, according to Rosenthal. 
  • Napoli appears to be the top target of the Red Sox, ahead of Nick Swisher, Adam LaRoche and others, Rosenthal writes.
  • While the Rangers want Napoli back, “they want him to return on their terms” in the words of one person. Rosenthal suggests this means the Rangers wouldn’t go beyond three years for the right-handed hitter.
  • The Yankees still figure to re-sign Russell Martin, another free agent backstop.
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