Kuzul

When the money’s available and there are no clear options to replace him in-house or on the free-agent market, sometimes the best thing to do is re-sign your own guy.

Everyone, let’s thank the Boston Red Sox for demonstrating this concept by agreeing to a deal with Mike Napoli. He will be back in Boston in 2014. And 2015 too.

The news of the agreement was first reported by Rob Bradford of WEEI.com. Sean McAdam of CSNNE.com reported that Napoli’s new contract is for two years and $32 million. 

The man himself, meanwhile, confirmed the deal in modern fashion: by taking a selfie. Because you want to see it, here it is:

Somewhat famously, the Red Sox initially agreed last winter to sign Napoli for three years and $39 million. Then they discovered he had a hip condition that knocked their offer down to one year and $5 million guaranteed, which he ultimately accepted.

Napoli eventually earned an extra $8 million in incentives by staying healthy enough to log 578 plate appearances over 139 games. Along the way, he compiled a solid batting line of .259/.360/.482 with 23 homers. By FanGraphs WAR, only three Red Sox regulars were more valuable.

However, Napoli’s value to the Red Sox extended beyond WAR. Just as the Red Sox hoped, one of the things he did in his first season with the club was play a suitable Robin to David Ortiz’s Batman.

Boston’s batting order was defined by balance all season long, and Napoli and Ortiz were very much a part of that in the middle of the order. Napoli hit behind Ortiz whenever possible, and in the end the two put up some quality numbers. Via Baseball-Reference.com and FanGraphs:

One of these things is not like the other. Ortiz had a better season than Napoli. No question about it.

But where Ortiz ranked first among Red Sox regulars in the four key categories listed above, Napoli ranked second. If the idea is for a team to have its two most productive hitters in the middle of the action, the Red Sox did it right with Ortiz and Napoli.

Had Napoli departed as a free agent, the Red Sox would have found themselves looking for a new counterpart with Big Papi. Preferably somebody who fit the same mold as Napoli: right-handed with good on-base skills and power (beard optional).

Conceivably, Daniel Nava could have been the guy. He can play first base, and is coming off a season in which he posted a .385 OBP. And while he’s not a righty hitter, he is a switch-hitter. Close enough.

Replacing Napoli’s right-handed power, though, is something Nava would have been the last candidate on the Red Sox to do based on 2013 Isolated Power:

*That’s power from the right side of the plate only.

Will Middlebrooks was the closest player to Napoli the Red Sox had in the right-handed power department in 2013. But his power came with a .271 OBP in 2013, and with a .294 OBP over 660 plate appearances over a larger sample size. A middle-of-the-order candidate, he is not.

Nor, if we’re being rational, is Xander Bogaerts just yet. The Red Sox surely love his potential, but trusting him to be ready for middle-of-the-order duty as soon as 2014 is a bit much.

So the Red Sox would have had to turn to the free-agent market to find a suitable counterpart for Ortiz. And in terms of righty-swinging first base-types, the market basically comes down to Napoli, Corey Hart, Mike Morse and Mark Reynolds.

None of the latter three hit for as much power as Napoli in 2013. Or over the last three years, for that matter. With an assist from FanGraphs:

On top of these unspectacular numbers are the red flags. Hart is coming off a lost year due to knee problems. Morse has an injury history of his own. Thanks largely to his swing-and-miss problem, Reynolds has outlived his viability as an everyday player.

Now, one thing the Red Sox could have done is chosen to be content with Nava, Middlebrooks, Mike Carp or some combination of the three at first base and signed Nelson Cruz, a righty-swinging corner outfielder to back up Ortiz in the lineup.

Alas, Cruz would have been an easy downgrade from Napoli. He packs plenty of power, but has just a .319 OBP over the last three seasons. That’s 52 points worse than the .371 OBP Napoli owns since 2011. The .327 OBP Cruz posted in 2013 was 33 points worse than Napoli’s .360.

Additionally, there’s defense to consider. Among free-agent position players, Cruz entered the market as one of the worst to be found by what happened in 2013.

The disclaimer here is that a great defensive first baseman isn’t that much more valuable than a below-average corner outfielder. As FanGraphs will tell you, first base really is that unimportant.

Even with that, it’s certainly notable that Napoli was terrific at first in 2013, leading all qualified first basemen in Ultimate Zone Rating and posting 10 Defensive Runs Saved. Going with a motley crew at first and Cruz in the outfield would have meant an overall offensive downgrade.

Thus is it not the least bit surprising that the Red Sox have signed on to pay Napoli $45 million over a three-year period rather than the $39 million they initially wanted to pay him. He was a vital cog on both offense and defense in 2013, and replacing him with one or several readily available players would have been extraordinarily difficult.

In a winter that will likely be defined by the Red Sox losing players to free agency, they’ve kept the guy it made perfect sense to keep.

Note: Stats courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com unless otherwise noted/linked.

If you want to talk baseball, hit me up on Twitter.

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Mike Napoli has reportedly reached an agreement to return to the Boston Red Sox. He Tweeted about the deal on Friday night:

The beard is coming back to Boston!!! Couldn’t be happier!! #Bstrong #beards #Ilovethiscity pic.twitter.com/mb2pDxq4tL

— Mike Napoli (@MikeNapoli25) December 7, 2013

Rob Bradford of WEEI.com initially broke the news:

Source: Napoli agrees with Red Sox

— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) December 7, 2013

Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal provides details on the deal:

Napoli two years, $32 million with #RedSox.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 7, 2013

Source: Napoli took less to stay with #RedSox. Earlier today talks were at a critical stage. He had at least one bigger offer.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 7, 2013

Napoli was a key piece of the puzzle for the Boston Red Sox as they bounced back from a miserable 2012 and navigated their way through to a World Series championship. He was at his best in the ALCS as he hit a couple key home runs to help power Boston past the Detroit Tigers.

Bradord also indicates that the front office may have received a bit of motivation to get a deal done from the players in the clubhouse:

Sources: Red Sox players urged front office to up Mike Napoli offer http://t.co/ndxyIJrCPg

— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) December 7, 2013

During the regular season, Napoli reached the 20-homer mark for the sixth consecutive year while driving in a career-high 92 runs and posting a solid .360 on-base percentage. Nearly half his hits (63 of 129) went for extra bases.

The other positive was his defense. After years of splitting time between catcher and first base, John Farrell and the Red Sox allowed him to play exclusively at first (except for eight games at DH). The result was improved defensive performance, as illustrated by his plus-10 DRS, which only increased his overall value.

Looking ahead, his consistent power production over the past handful of years makes him a pretty safe investment. He can step back into the middle portion of the lineup, get on base at a good clip, and connect on upward of 20 homers.

At 32, he should still have at least a couple more years at his best before having to worry about any type of decline. He’s also got less wear and tear than a typical veteran who has played catcher because of his platoon roles over the years.

As he showed in 2013, he’s exactly the type of player who can protect marquee players like David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia in the lineup.

There are no sure things on the free-agent market, but Napoli comes close and should be a good investment for the Red Sox as they seek to recreate some of the magic that propelled them to another world title.

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Expect the MLB offseason market action to pick up following Thanksgiving weekend and heading into the winter meetings from Dec. 9-12. There has already been a few notable signings, like Brian McCann and Jason Vargas, but virtually all of the top free agents are still available on the market.

Here’s a look at the latest news and rumors concerning three of the top hitters looking for new deals this winter.

Robinson Cano, 2B

Since September, Robinson Cano and his negotiating team had reportedly been holding firm to their asking price of more than $300 million over a 10-year contract.

But according to Mark Feinsand of the New York Daily News, Cano and the Yankees met on Tuesday to discuss a new deal:

While it doesn’t sound like a new contract is imminent, Feinsand also reported the two sides will meet again shortly:

The Yankees have been a favorite to retain Cano all offseason long, and it’s still looking that way. But it’s encouraging that Cano’s camp has been able to realize its outlandish expectations and lower its asking price, no matter how small.

Even though the Yankees have already inked McCann to a five-year deal that could reach $100 million with incentives, sources have told Feinsand it “doesn’t impact Cano” even as the team tries to get under the $189 million luxury-tax salary-cap figure.

Shin-Soo Choo, OF

Could Shin-Soo Choo be headed back to the Cleveland Indians?

Nick Camino of WTAM 1100 radio in Cleveland recently cited sources who said Choo would be interested in rejoining the Indians:

Choo played in Cleveland from 2006-12 and established himself as an everyday force in the lineup by the 2008 season. But the two parted ways for 2013, as Choo became one of baseball’s top leadoff hitters with the Cincinnati Reds (.285/.423/.462 slash line, 21 home runs, 54 RBI) and the Indians made a magical run to claim an AL wild-card spot.

It would be interesting to see where Choo would fit in Cleveland’s lineup. Michael Bourn is about to start a four-year, $48 million contract, and he spent last year as the team’s leadoff hitter and center fielder, the two spots Choo held in Cincinnati.

Choo, 31, might be better served to play one of the corner outfield spots, where he would be an upgrade over Michael Brantley and/or Drew Stubbs, who are both arbitration eligible this winter.

With Scott Boras as his agent, Choo is due for a big raise. Earlier this offseason, Indians general manager Chris Antonetti said the team would be aggressive after annual revenues were up 20 percent, so it will be interesting to see if there will be a Choo-Cleveland reunion.

Mike Napoli, 1B

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports recently painted a dim picture on the recent pursuits made by the Seattle Mariners in free agency.

In a report that characterized the team as “desperate,” Rosenthal cited Seattle sources who said the team is interested in signing first baseman Mike Napoli to a free-agent deal, and that it might take extra money to lure him to the Pacific Northwest.

The Mariners reportedly had interest in Napoli as a free agent last year, per Bob Dutton of The News Tribune, but backed off over injury concerns. Now that Napoli has made the switch from catcher to first base and is fully healthy, he could be counted on to bring some power to an offense that desperately needs it.

Seattle’s top two sluggers from a year ago, Kendrys Morales and Raul Ibanez, are both free agents, so the team could use a power bat like Napoli‘s. Rosenthal said the Mariners are also interested in other big names available like Choo, Nelson Cruz and Jacoby Ellsbury.

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The Boston Red Sox have several decisions to make this offseason in the wake of their World Series victory against the St. Louis Cardinals, but luckily for them, there don’t appear to be too many major issues for them this winter.

Sure, Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Napoli are free agents, but the Red Sox presumably have the cash to be in on each of the players until they decide where they’d like to sign. If nothing else, expect the Red Sox to drive up their price for other teams.

Most of Boston’s offseason thus far has been comprised of rumors behind the dish, and that’s an area that will need to be addressed by spring training.

Multiple reports would suggest that they’re on their way to doing so.

The Catching Conundrum

Jarrod Saltalamacchia is one of Boston’s free agents, though he’ll be courted by multiple teams this offseason. 

Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com believes that the Minnesota Twins, Colorado Rockies or Toronto Blue Jays could make a run at Salty, with the Red Sox of course being the in the mix as well. Heyman cites options like A.J. Pierzynski and Dioner Navarro as possibilities for Boston as well, but general manager Ben Cherington may have other ideas for a backstop.

Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald reports that the Red Sox have discussed opening the season with Ryan Lavarnway splitting time behind the plate with 37-year-old David Ross. This would be done in the hopes of using them as stopgap options until prospects Christian Vazquez and Blake Swihart are ready to compete at the major league level.

Saltalamacchia put together arguably his most consistent season in 2013, hitting .273/.338/.466 with 14 home runs and 65 RBI. The in-house options presented by Lauber likely wouldn’t be able to equal that production.

Michael Young

Infielder Michael Young appears to be interested in joining an American League East club, as Peter Gammons reports that the 37-year-old is interested in joining either the Red Sox or Baltimore Orioles.

It’s unclear as to whether or not the teams have expressed interest in him, but it seems as if he’d be more than willing should the teams go after him. For a team like the Red Sox, Young would be a quality super-utility infielder that could find his way into semi-regular at-bats at third base.

Will Middlebrooks was nothing special last season, and Xander Bogaerts took at-bats away from him late in the season. If Stephen Drew leaves via free agency, Bogaerts could slide over to short and surrender third to Middlebrooks.

Young would give them a quality backup plan.

A team-friendly one-year deal would likely be reached with Young, and there really isn’t a downside to bringing him aboard. Maybe Gammons‘ tweet will spark some interest.

Patience with Mike Napoli

The Red Sox will have a huge hole at first base if they don’t re-sign Mike Napoli, and Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports that they plan on being patient in their pursuit of him this winter.

After signing a one-year deal with Boston last offseason, Napoli more than earned the right to seek a multiyear deal during the season. He hit .259/.360/.482 with 23 home runs and 92 RBI in the middle of the lineup, and he could likely reel in a deal similar to Jhonny Peralta’s on the open market.

In his stead, the Red Sox could convert outfielder Daniel Nava to first base. That wouldn’t be ideal, however, as Napoli is actually a very good defensive first baseman and supplies much more pop to the lineup.

Coming off a World Series win, the Red Sox would be wise to bring back Napoli. He made an impact on the lineup and in the clubhouse, and those types of players are few and far between.

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Every MLB team has an idea of how they think their offseason will play out, or at least how they would like it to, but rarely do things go according to plan during the MLB offseason.

Whether it’s a surprise player hitting the trade market and changing the market for other players at his position, a free-agent signing with an unexpected suitor, a player opting against re-signing when he’s expected to and hitting the open market or something else altogether, there is no shortage of reasons an offseason can be altered.

So here is a look at a few unexpected moves that could shake up the 2013-2014 MLB offseason.

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For Washington Nationals fans, the MLB offseason is the time to dream. 

Nats fans can dream about the season that could have been or the season that is yet to come. Or perhaps they can dream about the free agents who will help the team next season. 

Of course, some potential free-agent signings are just that: a dream. A mirage. A figment of the imagination. 

Thankfully for Nats fans, it is only Nov. 8. The offseason alarm clock won’t go off for another five months. So keep dreaming. 

On that note, here are three dream free-agent pickups for the Washington Nationals this offseason. 

Note: All statistics courtesy of MLB.com unless noted otherwise. 

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Of the free agents who will be able to negotiate and sign with new teams beginning on Tuesday, November 5, several of them had an extended opportunity to increase (or decrease) their value in the postseason. 

While only a handful of innings pitched or a small sample size of at-bats normally wouldn’t move the needle very much on a veteran player’s perceived value, a player’s ability to produce in the playoffs certainly can. 

Here are 10 players whose asking price has likely risen or fallen since the end of the regular season.

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Sasquatch hunters would lose their minds if they happened across Fenway Park. The men of the 2013 Boston Red Sox own some of the gnarliest beards in baseball, and it’s about time we settle the argument of who has the best. 

I mean, seeing as how these players went through all of the trouble and weeks (hours when it comes to Jonny Gomes) to grow these things, we might as well judge them. 

From the scraggly to those who would make The Most Interesting Man in the World happy, we have you covered. 

Never before have a group of men been so lauded for merely not shaving. It’s time to celebrate laziness and superstitious playoff facial hair. 

We will also give you a non-baseball comparison of the first thing we think of when we see each beard. Feel free to play along. 

Now let’s see those mugs. 

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The Free Agent Market could be open for business as early as next Monday, and while it had appeared to be shaping up late in the regular season, it turns out that it was far from settled. 

Pricey contract extensions for Hunter Pence and Tim Lincecum, as well as rumored $100 million asking prices for Shin-Shoo Choo and Jacoby Ellsbury, indicate that teams may have to ante up big dollars for the best players on the market.  

In addition, several free agents-to-be boosted their stock with strong playoff performances. Others hurt their value by showing that they might not be very good when the games are most important. 

Here’s a look at how the 2013 postseason has changed the playoff picture.

Jacoby Ellsbury: $100 million man

Despite missing nearly three weeks in September with a foot injury, Ellsbury had already done enough to ensure he’d enter the offseason as the top center fielder on the free agent market.

But a $100 million deal, as was suggested by his agent Scott Boras in an interview with CBS Sports last month, seemed steep considering he hadn’t shown the power that made him a finalist for the AL MVP award in 2011. Considering that a similar player, Michael Bourn, got four years and $48 million the previous offseason, a reasonable projection for the 30-year-old Ellsbury would be somewhere around five years and $70 million. 

This is no longer the case, though. Ellsbury, who has been the catalyst for the Sox during their World Series run with a .902 OPS, 17 hits, 11 runs and six stolen bases in 12 games, is doing everything in his power to increase his value.

Pence’s $90 million deal helps, but it’s Ellsbury’s playoff performance that might actually push him into the $100 million territory. 

Carlos Beltran putting injury concerns to rest

Including the playoffs, Beltran has averaged 154 games per season since 2011, his ages 34-36 seasons. After leaving Game 1 of the World Series after robbing a homer with a rib injury, he was back in the lineup for Game 2. He went 2-for-4 with an RBI single to add on to one of the most impressive postseason resume’s of all-time. 

The knee troubles that caused him to miss most of the 2009-2010 seasons appear to be a thing of the past, and he’ll be paid accordingly. It’s his talent on the field that could net him as much as $20 million per season this offseason. It’s his ability to stay on the field—even this late in the season—that will give at least one team enough confidence to give him a three-year deal.

Clutch hitting will overshadow Mike Napoli’s hip condition

There’s no doubt that the degenerative hip condition that caused the Red Sox to pull a three-year, $39 million deal off the table last winter is going to be an issue for Napoli again. But the fact that he started 131 games at first base—his first year as a regular first baseman—and put up impressive numbers during the regular season (.842 OPS, 23 HR, 92 RBI) will make it much less of an issue. 

And if there was still any doubt, consider that the 31-year-old has had several big hits in the postseason, including a game-winning homer against Justin Verlander in the ALCS and a three-run double to open the scoring in the World Series, and he has not been hindered one bit by his hip condition.

The question is no longer whether he’ll get a multi-year deal or not. It’s whether he’ll get two or three years.

Add Brian Wilson to the list of top free agent closers

The former Giants closer didn’t even get a save opportunity during his two-month stint with the Dodgers. But by the playoffs, it was clear that Wilson had returned to form after missing all of 2012 and most of 2013 recovering from Tommy John surgery. 

After allowing just one earned run in 13.2 innings over 18 regular season appearances, the 31-year-old was even better in the postseason. As the primary setup man to closer Kenley Jansen, Wilson pitched six shutout innings with two walks, eight strikeouts, a win and two holds. 

Those might be the last “holds” he records for a couple of seasons. He should land a closer’s gig this winter.

“Left Fielder” Jhonny Peralta near the top of the shortstop and third base markets

Peralta returned from a 50-game P.E.D. suspension late in the season to find he had lost his starting shortstop job to defensive whiz Jose Iglesias. The Tigers needed his bat in the lineup, however, so they got creative. 

For the first time in his professional career, the 31-year-old played in the outfield. He also went 11-for-33 in the playoffs with three doubles and a homer. Does it mean he’ll be recruited as a starting outfielder this offseason? Probably not. But that’s only because several teams will be trying to sign him to be their shortstop or third baseman. 

It’s not exactly the deepest market for those positions, which is why Peralta’s suspension will have limited impact on his value. 

Juan Uribe will be a starting third baseman in 2014

The Dodgers gave Uribe a three-year, $21 million deal after a 2010 season in which he posted a .749 OPS with 24 homers for the Giants. But it’s extremely likely that he may have earned himself that third year or a few more million dollars after some clutch hitting in the playoffs. 

Uribe hit a game-winning homer in the deciding NLCS Game 6 win over the Phillies. He also hit a big three-run homer in Game 1 of the World Series. He didn’t do much else, but his impact was clear in front of a national audience. 

Fast-forward to 2013, and Uribe is coming off of a season in which he posted a .769 OPS with 12 homers and has been named a finalist for the Gold Glove award for third basemen. He came up big again in the playoffs, including another game-winning homer in the deciding game of a series. 

Regardless of how bad he was in 2011-2012 (.552 OPS), Uribe shouldn’t have a hard time finding a starting job in what is a very weak market for third basemen. 

Where have you gone, Edward Mujica? 

A 29-year-old All-Star closer who is coming off of a season in which he saved 37 games, posted a 2.78 ERA and walked only five batters in 64.2 innings should be extremely popular this winter, right? Not so much with Mujica. 

If his own team doesn’t have enough faith to use him in anything more than mop-up duty during the playoffs, why would teams interested in a closer look to Mujica ahead of Wilson, Grant Balfour, Joaquin Benoit, Joe Nathan or Fernando Rodney? 

It’s his own doing after a terrible September (7.1 IP, 9 ER, 18 H), but Mujica’s value has took a tremendous hit in a short amount of time, and the Cardinals aren’t helping by not letting him pitch this postseason.

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Thomas Robbins very nearly stole Boston Red Sox first baseman Mike Napoli‘s glove this past Sunday, and he would’ve gotten away with it too if it weren’t for those meddling security guards. 

The Boston Globe’s Melissa Hanson (via Next Impulse Sports) reports 23-year-old Robbins was caught looming around the Red Sox clubhouse on Sunday morning. 

Boston dispatched with the Detroit Tigers on Saturday with a win in Game 6 of the ALCS, 5-2. After the champagne bottles were popped and most had cleared out, one person remained to nab a souvenir: 

At around 2:30 a.m. Sunday, officers responded to Yawkey Way for a report of larceny and found Robbins inside the Sox clubhouse. When asked what he was doing, Robbins began to exit the clubhouse, dropping Napoli’s beloved glove along the way, the statement said.

Robbins was stopped by fast-thinking Fenway security staff in a parking lot reserved for players. He was carrying Red Sox and Major League Baseball press box passes, which lead them to believe Robbins had also been in the press box, the statement said. It was unclear how he had obtained the credentials.

Hanson reports Robbins was arraigned on Monday on charges of “attempting to commit a crime and trespassing.”

He may have had better luck walking away with one of their beard trimmers, because it doesn’t seem like any of the players are using them anyway. 

That item he was hoping to get away with, Napoli‘s glove, is valued at $450, according to Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley. 

Conley made the obvious statement that actual cost isn’t what matters here, because players are very particular how their gloves fit and feel. 

Anyone who has ever played understands the benefit to working in a mitt just right. Now extrapolate that to an MLB player about to play in the World Series and you get how important it might be for Napoli to have his glove. 

While there is no word on how Robbins happened upon credentials, the report states he most likely made his way into what Red Sox fans might consider hallowed ground, through an “authorized personnel” door.

For Napoli, he will be at first base along with his trusty mitt to open the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

The 31-year-old heated up against the Tigers after struggling at the plate in the ALDS. In 20 at-bats against Detroit, he batted .300 and clubbed two home runs, including a mammoth blast in Game 5.  

I am sure Cardinals pitchers were slightly hoping Robbins would have nabbed Napoli‘s bat instead. 

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