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With Major League Baseball’s 8-team and now 10-team playoff format, it’s actually become somewhat rare to see teams with the best regular season records reach the World Series. Fans of the 97-win St. Louis Cardinals and Boston Red Sox certainly aren’t complaining.

Both teams found a way to fend off opponents and reach the 2013 World Series, which will be a rematch of the 2004 Fall Classic. This time around the series will be decided by four names: David Ortiz, Koji Uehara, Allen Craig and Carlos Beltran. 

The clutch-performing role of David Ortiz hasn’t changed one iota since 2004. To take home the hardware, Ortiz will have to do more than his 2-for-22 line in the ALCS. Ortiz will be playing defense from the dugout as usual in Game 1 at Fenway, but the real challenge comes when the Sox travel to St. Louis. Ortiz will likely play first base.

Ortiz is an adequate first baseman, “I’ve seen Big Papi play a lot,” said Red Sox outfielder Jonny Gomes, via Danny Knobler, Baseball Insider for CBSSports.com “I mean, the guy can play first base. If you ask me, you can go #goldglove for Napoli, but Ortiz isn’t bad there.”

The main downfall is that the Red Sox will then have to pull Mike Napoli out of the lineup. Limiting his plate appearances, possibly disrupting his rhythm and removing protection in the batting order for Ortiz. Napoli has been a primary source of offense for the Red Sox hitting .300 with a pair of doubles and home runs in the ALCS.

Sitting Napoli is a hefty price to pay and that makes the production of Ortiz that much more important to the series. Farrell has left the door open saying Ortiz will get time over Napoli at first base, but not revealing the number of games he’ll start according to Alex Speier of WEEI 93.7.

Ortiz and his clutch hitting have been a constant for the Red Sox since 2004, but the role of clutch pitching has seen many names. The latest of said names is ALCS MVP Koji Uehara. The 38-year-old Uehara isn’t the typical overly animated gas-throwing closer, but he gets the job done with a fastball that sits around 90 mph.

To beat the Cardinals and the clutch hitting they always seem to find, Uehara will have to be the shutdown closer he was against Detroit. In the closer role one lapse or one bad pitch can lose a game making it a crucial position.

Uehara’s deception and control should continue to work in his favor. The Red Sox players certainly aren’t worried about Uehara, “Well, ‘invincible’ is not a word we use because we don’t ever like to take things for granted in this game, but you’ve got a lot of confidence in Koji, that’s for sure,” Red Sox Catcher David Ross said via Scott Lauber of The Boston Herald. “As a catcher, you’re just trying to get to the end of the game, and with a guy like that, you realize, if I can just get through the eighth with a lead, we’ve got it.”

One of the clutch hitters Uehara may have to face is Allen Craig, who sustained a foot injury on Sept. 4th. Before the injury Craig was the Cardinals’ primary clean-up hitter and he racked up a solid .315 AVG / 13 HR / 97 RBI line.  

Craig will likely be the DH in Boston and coming off the bench in St. Louis according to Anthony McCarron of New York Daily News. Craig does, however, boast a .454 clip with runners in scoring position. Production like that is sure to be a series changer. Luckily, Craig will have two games to prove his worth in Boston before moving back to St. Louis.

While Craig’s clutch regular season hitting and valiant return to the lineup earn him a mention Carlos Beltran needs no such validation. Beltran is in the debate as the greatest postseason hitter ever. A great performance in his first World Series would certainly help solidify that claim and fuel the existing conversation. Here’s what some analysts are already discussing:

To win a ring this year, Beltran will have to continue his clutch postseason hitting.

Thus far, Beltran has provided 12 RBI’s for the Cardinals, who have 42 runs in the 2013 postseason. For the Cardinals to be successful Beltran will have to continue receiving high fives after RBIs as he’s doing in the picture below.

If the Cardinals continue to rely on Beltran for over a quarter of their offense he’ll have to produce in a big way. The switch hitting Beltran may have a tough time in the series with Jon Lester taking the hill as the Red Sox starter.

Beltran was a much better hitter from the left side (.315 AVG / .509 SLG / .871 OPS) than from the right side (.252 AVG / .448 SLG / .729 OPS). Lefties Lester and Red Sox reliever Craig Breslow will likely force Beltran to take a good portion of his cuts from the right side.

 Beltran is, however 4-for-13 from the right side this postseason, but that’s a pretty small sample. Plus, both of his home runs have come hitting left-handed. No matter which side Beltran is taking his hacks from he will have to continue to be a primary source of offense for the Cardinals to revenge their 2004 World Series defeat.

One way or another these four players will decide how this series will be won. Will it be decided by brilliant pitching and a few clutch hits? Will both teams find their offense? Who will gain the edge? It all remains to be seen, but one way or another these four players are at the heart of which way the series goes.

Each of these four players will likely be at the crux of their teams victory or failure. Newcomers like Xander Bogaerts and Matt Adams might be the heroes. Or pitching performances from Michael Wacha or Jon Lester might steal the headlines. Ortiz, Uehara, Craig and Beltran are necessary pieces to their respective teams, will have opportunities to perform in the clutch and will be the deciding factors in the outcome of the 2013 World Series.

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Justin Verlander threw six scoreless innings before the Boston Red Sox scored off of this Mike Napoli home run in the top of the seventh inning.

That HR by Napoli broke a 34-inning scoreless streak for Justin Verlander dating back to the regular season. #postseason

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 15, 2013

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Finally, the Mike Napoli saga is coming to an end well over a month after it was first announced that he was going to sign with the Boston Red Sox, according to this report from WEEI‘s Rob Bradford.

It was well worth the wait. Instead of a three-year deal worth $39 million, Napoli is now playing on a one-year contract worth $5 million, according to this tweet from CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman.

According to the same report, Bradford details that Napoli has the ability to earn another $8 million in performance bonuses.

The reason for all of this is due to an existing hip condition that came up during Napoli‘s first physical with the team in December. The Sox and Napoli had been quietly working on restructuring the initial contract to something that protected the Sox if Napoli was injured due to the hip.

If the hip issue was a completely minor issue, it is likely that Napoli would have left in frustration. The fact that Napoli and his agent Brian Grieper kept at this meant that the Sox’s findings were going to be consistent with what other teams might have found.

Napoli is now guaranteed nothing past next season, meaning that he will be motivated to show that he is capable of remaining healthy and being an extremely productive player for the Sox.

Losing potentially $34 million will do that to a player.

However, this move could turn out to be a win-win for both player and team.

Napoli will have the ability to spend 81 games next season at Fenway, giving him a chance to really boost his numbers after a poor 2012 season where he hit 24 home runs and drove in 56 runs with a slash line of .227/.343/.469 while playing for the Texas Rangers.

If Napoli is able to recreate his superior 2011 season with the Rangers, where he hit 30 home runs and knocked in 75 runs, while hitting .320/.414/.631, he will earn back the $34 million left on the table and then some.

For the Sox, they will have an extremely motivated player who has shown that he wanted to play for the Sox, working through the frustration of the renegotiated contract and staying with the team.

The Sox retain the freedom and flexibility to do whatever they would like after next season; re-sign Napoli, look at a player like the Minnesota Twins’ Justin Morneau or a trade candidate like the New York Mets’ Ike Davis.

This also makes Napoli potentially the most appealing trade chip in baseball come the July deadline.

Obviously, if the Sox are in contention, they aren’t going to move Napoli. But, if the Sox are on the outside of the playoffs looking in, then trading Napoli could continue to beef up the Sox’s farm system.

With about a month to go before pitchers and catchers report, Sox’s general manager Ben Cherington has made all of the major moves that he is likely to make this winter.

It’s almost time for the Sox to put last season behind them.

Information used from MLB, Baseball Reference, MLB Trade Rumors, WEEI, CBS Sports

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The Boston Red Sox’s first base situation for the 2013 season got a little stickier with the news that the team is trying to change free agent Mike Napoli’s three-year, $39 million contract to a one-year deal.

ESPN.com’s Jim Bowden tweeted that Boston is attempting to make such a drastic renegotiation because it believes that a longer contract would be dangerous due to health issues with Napoli’s hip:

Red Sox would like to shorten their deal with Napoli to one-year to make sure the hip will be ok for 2 or 3 seasons without a lot of DL time

— JIM BOWDEN (@JimBowdenESPNxm) January 11, 2013

Napoli and the Red Sox originally agreed to the three-year contract in early December. However, the deal was never consummated because of concerns over Napoli’s hip that arose when he took his physical in Boston.

Although he has remained mum on the situation, Napoli can’t be happy that Boston is attempting to take a serious amount of money out of his pocket.

Boston general manager Ben Cherington sounded lukewarm that something could be worked out when he appeared on WEEI’s Red Sox Hot Stove Show last week. WEEI’s Kirk Minihane quoted Cherington as saying he wasn’t really sure where things currently stand:

No, there’s nothing to update… One of our goals this offseason was to add offense at first base. We haven’t been able to really do that officially yet. We’re still talking and when you’re talking, there’s hope for a resolution. But nothing to report now… Whenever we’re talking and there’s dialogue, it means we’re hopeful of being able to do something but we just don’t know yet. We’ll see how it plays out.

The Red Sox currently have the untested Mauro Gomez as the only player on their roster who has recent experience playing first base.

Boston also recently signed former St. Louis Cardinals second-round draft pick Mark Hamilton to a minor league deal. Although he’s played in only 47 major league games and has an extensive history of injuries, Hamilton has been fairly productive in the minors during his career, posting a .277/.364/.832 batting average/OBP/OPS split.

Despite the uncertainty of who will play first base for the Red Sox this season, team manager John Farrell seemed strangely unconcerned based on what he told MLB.com’s Ian Browne:

Well, Mauro Gomez is on our roster now. Obviously Mark Hamilton is a young guy that we’ve signed. We’re all well aware of the certain situation that’s still being worked through. I know Ben is doing whatever he possibly can so that when we report to Spring Training, we’ve got that position answered.

First baseman Adam LaRoche had been seen as the most likely backup plan for the Red Sox if the deal with Napoli completely fell through. However, he recently re-signed with the Washington Nationals, leaving Boston with the likes of Lyle Overbay and Casey Kotchman as the best first-sackers remaining on the free-agent market.

It’s unclear at this point if Napoli is ever going to officially join the Red Sox. What is clear is that his deal is very much in doubt, and the team has few apparent desirable options it could turn to as an alternative.

Statistics via BaseballReference

Follow @historianandrew

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Why should the Boston Red Sox continue to try and finalize a contract with a doomed Mike Napoli when there are better options on the table? That’s right, they shouldn’t.

It’s now been over a month since Boston agreed to a three-year deal with Napoli. That agreement still hasn’t been finalized or officially announced. Whatever the Red Sox are trying to put into Napoli’s contract should he get injured clearly isn’t floating his boat.

The Red Sox were given a gift of finding out that Napoli had red flags in his medicals before officially putting him on the books and yet they continue to try and work things out. It’s time to stop these negotiations and move on to another player who can play first base each day.

Boston failed to land Adam LaRoche, who re-signed with the Washington Nationals on a two-year deal. The Red Sox were probably reluctant to give up a draft pick and draft money if they signed him, but he’s no longer an option so cross him off the list.

But LaRoche’s signing does impact the Red Sox in a different manner. With Washington bringing LaRoche back to play first base, that leaves Michael Morse without a spot in the everyday lineup.

Adam Kilgore of The Washington Post writes that Morse is pretty much a goner:

Adam LaRoche’s agreement with the Nationals today, coupled with an outfield chocked full of players whose contractual rights with the Nationals control for years to come, leads to the clear conclusion that Michael Morse is the odd man out and will almost certainly be traded before the Nationals report for spring training in a five weeks.

Morse hit .291/.321/.470 with 18 home runs and 62 RBI in 102 games with Washington last season. He mainly played the outfield for the National League East champions in 2012, but first base was his primary position the year prior.

Is that or is that not exactly what the Red Sox need?

There’s a major void at first base with Mauro Gomez the only option outside of finalizing the Napoli deal. Neither of those are good options at the moment. Morse has a power swing that would work out nicely at Fenway Park and he could play first base nearly every day.

Morse could also be used as the fourth outfielder, mainly playing instead of Jonny Gomes when facing right-handed starters. Gomes has a career .732 against right-handed arms whereas Morse has a career .830 OPS against them. In this situation, Gomez would fill in at first base when Morse shifts to the outfield.

The great part about trading for a guy like Morse is that it won’t be nearly as expensive as signing Napoli to a three-year deal.

Amanda Comak of The Washington Times reports that with LaRoche coming back to Washington, the asking price on Morse could drop:

 

For what it’s worth, back around winter mtgs, heard #nats asking price on Morse was significant. Not surprising. We’ll see if it drops now.

— Amanda Comak (@acomak) January 8, 2013

 

Obviously this would bode well for Boston as giving up as little as possible would be what the Red Sox would look to do. This comes especially since Morse is only under contract for one more season and is not guaranteed to sign a long-term extension.

Jim Bowden of ESPN reports what the Nationals are most likely looking for in exchange for Morse:

 

Nationals looking for LH relief help and/or prospects to help replenish farm system in a Michael Morse swap according to #Nats source

— JIM BOWDEN (@JimBowdenESPNxm) January 8, 2013

 

Last time I checked, the Red Sox had a surplus of left-handed relievers. Franklin Morales is probably the most valuable between himself, Andrew Miller and Craig Breslow and could be a player Washington would want in return. Do the Red Sox absolutely need to keep Morales? No, they don’t.

Boston also has plenty of decent prospects that they could part ways with. Dealing someone like Morales and a prospect in exchange for a player who absolutely fills the biggest void on the team doesn’t sound like that bad of a deal.

By acquiring Morse, Boston has the capability of either signing him to an extension or letting him walk in free agency and seeing how the market looks.

Boston was going to give Napoli $39 million over three seasons and for all intents and purposes, let’s assume that he would earn $13 million per season. That would mean that Boston would save $6.5 million in 2013 and as much as $32.5 million should they go with Morse over Napoli.

Morse has been banged up in his career too, but isn’t nearly as big of a concern as Napoli currently is.

The smartest move Boston could make this offseason would be to forget about Napoli and do its best to pry Morse from Washington. 

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The Boston Red Sox need to finalize their deal with Mike Napoli.

With Tuesday’s news that the Washington Nationals have re-signed Adam LaRoche to a two-year deal (via Washington Times), the chances of finding someone else to play first base for the Red Sox this year are dwindling to zero.

Yes, we know they tried Bobby Abreu out in Venezuela, and some have suggested even playing David Ortiz at first full-time, but they really are not even short-term options to play the position.

When the Red Sox and Napoli originally agreed (via Comcast Sports New England) to a three-year deal for $39 million it did seem like an overpay, but now with the other reasonable free agents off the board, this is a deal they have to finish.

It would be very understandable if the Red Sox were now skittish about giving Napoli three years—his health is a concern, along with his declining production—but they have let this drag on way too long and frankly do not have any other options.

Either way, Napoli signing does not make the Red Sox into a playoff team.

Yes, they certainly have improved from last year’s 69–93 debacle, but there are still too many question marks for them to really contend in a division that has reinvented itself this offseason.

The market is running out of places for Napoli as well.

With just five weeks to go until pitchers and catchers report for spring training, there are not a lot of first base jobs open, and he probably is at the point of his career where his body will not let him be an everyday catcher.

LaRoche’s signing also has taken most of Napoli‘s leverage away. He would be very hard pressed to get any other team besides the Red Sox to agree to the same terms that he negotiated with Boston before.

Finalizing this deal would also allow the Red Sox to trade either Ryan Lavarnway or Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

Napoli can be the third catcher if they need one, and also fill in as designated hitter when Ortiz needs a break.

For this to be stretching out as long as this has is now ridiculous. The Red Sox need to get this deal done so they can go to spring training with that part of the roster solved, or finally come up with a plan B for someone else to play first base.

Either way, enough is enough.

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Somehow this winter Mike Napoli, a man who has played 511 of his 727 career games as a catcher, is being revered as a free-agent first baseman.

Either that is a shining example of how versatile of a player Napoli is, or an indictment on how poor the free-agent market is in terms of first basemen this winter.

If you chose the latter, you’re correct.

The Boston Red Sox have already deemed Napoli worthy of a three-year and $39 million contract. Well, sort of.

I should say that they’ve deemed a healthy Mike Napoli worthy of such a contract.

In recent weeks, questions have arisen surrounding the health of his hip, specifically, the pen has yet to meet paper in four weeks because the Red Sox want language in the contract to protect them should Napoli become sidelined due to a preexisting hip injury.

While those contract negotiations have been running at a snail’s pace, the Red Sox have been kicking the tires on other first base options, specifically Adam LaRoche, as described by ESPN Boston.

Don’t worry Red Sox Nation, Napoli is still a priority, though.

Who then would represent a better option for a team like the Red Sox?

Let’s take a closer look.

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Having been one of the busiest teams in free agency during this offseason, the Boston Red Sox appear nearly set as they head into spring training. However, it’s still possible that their inability to tie up a loose end may force them to make another major acquisition.

Boston thought they had locked a starting first baseman into place when they agreed to a three-year, $39 million contract with Mike Napoli earlier in the month. But to date, no official announcement has been made because of issues preventing the finalization of the deal.

WEEI’s Rob Bradford reported that Boston GM Ben Cherington announced at a recent press conference that no progress had been made with the Napoli negotiations. Cherington explained, “We continue to talk and there’s that consistent dialogue and we’ll continue to do that, work to resolve the issues that are outstanding. I can’t classify it or anything like that.”

SI.com’s Will Carroll tweeted last week that the Red Sox were hoping to renegotiate a shorter deal with Napoli because of health concerns:

Hearing that the Napoli deal back in negotiations, with team asking Napoli to take less years but same AAV. Swisher Plan B.

— Will Carroll (@injuryexpert) December 13, 2012

Although Carroll thought that Nick Swisher would be the Red Sox backup plan if Napoli’s deal falls through, it appears that focus may have shifted. It’s starting to look like Boston’s old friend Adam LaRoche has taken the lead as the possible replacement at first base if terms can’t be reached with Napoli.

The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo reported that the hold-up on Napoli appears to be the Red Sox wanting specific language included in the contract regarding a medical situation involving the player’s hip or leg.

Cafardo believes not being able to complete Napoli’s deal might work out well for the Red Sox because “LaRoche could actually be a better option for Boston.” That possibility is starting to gain more traction as time drags on.

ESPN.com Insider’s Doug Mittler wrote in MLB Rumors on December 17th that LaRoche turned down the Washington Nationals’ $13.3 million qualifying offer for 2013. The first baseman hasn’t been interested in the two-year deal he was subsequently offered, but Cafardo thinks he could bite if the Red Sox were willing to give him the same three-year, $39 million deal they originally earmarked for Napoli.

Adding LaRoche would fit in with the other moves made by the Red Sox this offseason. The 33-year-old can be best described as a complementary player—nearly identical to the identities of other free-agent acquisitions Shane Victorino, Jonny Gomes and Ryan Dempster.

Although he won a Gold Glove last season, according to advanced metrics, LaRoche is really just an average fielder. He has a combined dWAR of 0.0 over the past three seasons, meaning he neither helps, nor really hurts, a team’s defense.

With 162-game averages of .268 with 27 home runs and 93 RBI over a nine-year major league career, LaRoche seems like a good source of production. A closer look at the numbers suggests that he might fall short of those expectations if he were to join Boston.

Other than six games he had with the Red Sox in 2009, LaRoche has played his entire career in the National League.

LaRoche has batting average/OBP/OPS splits of .243/.306/.730 in 106 career interleague games against the AL, which are well below his career marks of .268/.338/.830.

Additionally, LaRoche has typically under-performed against good teams. His career splits of .252/.325/.760 against teams with winning records could portend disappointment if his new home was the ultra-competitive AL East.

Combining LaRoche’s age with the warning signs from some of his stats suggests he may not be the best fit in Boston. Heck, there are no guarantees Napoli will do well. However, there may not be better alternatives.

If the Red Sox do finish their contract with Napoli, it’s highly unlikely they will pursue LaRoche. WEEI’s Alex Speier wrote that the team is nearing the 2013 luxury tax threshold of $178 million— being approximately $9 million under as things stand today.

The 2013 Red Sox first base position has come to be defined by uncertainty and it appears that adding LaRoche would only compound that issue. Only time will tell how it will all play out.
 

Statistics via BaseballReference

Follow @historianandrew

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The offseason is just starting to heat up, and the New York Mets are looking to make some moves. The team has a whole lot of weaknesses in their roster at the moment, and these next few weeks will prove to be crucial for the team’s future success.

One of the main needs for the Mets is at the catcher position. Josh Thole was the team’s starting catcher on Opening Day last season, and fans were hoping for him to solidify himself as the Mets catcher of the future. Sadly for them, that did not happen. Thole had a lackluster 2012 campaign, and might have even took a few steps backwards, as far as his talent goes.

His batting average plummeted and his strikeout rate went up. His defense didn’t look like it improved much either. Thole isn’t a bad player, but he just shouldn’t be the team’s starting catcher. He is a much better fit as a backup catcher, in my opinion. 

With that said, the free-agent market for catchers isn’t that deep this year, so the Mets will have to look hard to find someone. The top free-agent catchers are Mike Napoli and A.J. Pierzynski. Russel Martin was somewhere on that short list too, but he just recently signed a contract with Pittsburgh, so he is obviously not an option anymore.

Mike Napoli is a very solid player, and is in the top tier of catchers in the league. Because of the thin crop of catchers, Napoli has been garnering a lot of attention from teams all over. It has been confirmed that him and his agents have already engaged in talks with Seattle, Boston and Texas.

Napoli will most likely be awarded a contract of at least three years, worth $30 million, and don’t be surprised if it turns out to be more. He has a decent amount of pop behind the plate, and the Mets could desperately use some help in the power department. 

We will see how things look for Napoli and the Mets once the Winter Meetings progress. Napoli‘s price tag might be a bit high for what the Mets are looking for right now, but he is certainly worth a look. 

Pierzynski is also a pretty good option for the Mets, as the veteran knows what he’s doing behind the plate, and knows how to win. His age might raise a red flag though, but the truth is that he had a career year last season.

He is also a New York native, and he might want to make a homecoming, for all we know. That is just speculation though, and I don’t believe that the Mets should go too crazy for him. He is worth a look, but only at a reasonable contract.

That is basically it for the free-agent catchers that could be an upgrade for the Mets, so now let’s take a look at the trade market. 

One of the most intriguing options for the Mets is to talk to Toronto about their young catchers. The Blue Jays have just recently acquired veteran catcher, John Buck, from the blockbuster Miami deal. The arrival of Buck makes the Toronto catcher scene pretty crowded. 

J.P. Arencibia has been rumored to be on the trade market, due to the simple fact that the Jays don’t really have room for him anymore. Buck will probably be the Opening Day catcher for Toronto, and then it will be top prospect Travis d’Arnaud’s time to shine. 

The Jays are looking for pitching, and that is one of the few positions that the Mets are deep in. That makes these two teams look like a pretty great match. J.P. Arencibia is a power-hitting catcher and can hold his own behind the plate. He is also pretty young, at 26 years old.

A deal built around Jon Niese and J.P. Arencibia could definitely be in the works in the near future. That would help both teams out, and give the Mets the catcher that they have been looking for a long time. 

As always, there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding this offseason, but the upcoming Winter Meetings will help give the fans a look into what direction the Mets want to go in. All of the previously mentioned options would be an upgrade for the Mets, and we can only hope that Sandy Alderson and Co. make something happen.

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The New York Yankees look to replicate the pitching success they enjoyed down the stretch and in the playoffs this past season.

They agreed to bring both starter Andy Pettitte and the greatest closer of all time, Mariano Rivera, back to the team for the 2013 MLB season.

Pettitte, who made his season debut on Mother’s Day, was limited to just 12 starts thanks to an ankle fracture. He pitched very well in his return to the majors after retirement in 2011, pitching to a 2.87 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, and a 146 ERA+. He also pitched well in the playoffs, allowing just five runs in 13.2 innings.

Rivera pitched just nine games this season, out since May due to a freak accident during batting practice, tearing his ACL. However, he immediately decided that he would not retire and would work his way back. 

Both moves, along with Hiroki Kuroda returning last week, make the Yankees pitching staff again a threat when healthy. The pitching staff showed what it was capable of in this past postseason and hope to replicate this success for the entire 2013 baseball year

The offense, on the other hand, is still a work in progress, and now has suffered a setback.

Russell Martin, the replacement to longtime Yankee catcher Jorge Posada, left the Bronx for the Pittsburgh Pirates, signing a two-year deal worth $19 million. Martin spent the past two seasons with the Yankees, hitting .224 over a 258 game stretch. 

Despite the poor numbers, this a huge loss for the Yankees, as they also lose one of the best defensive backstops in the game. They must make a decision and perhaps some reactionary moves to solve this situation. 

The Bronx Bombers are now without a starting catcher, with the depth of catchers on the roster currently as follows:

Chris Stewart: .241/.292/.319/.611 in 2012 with the Yankees

Francisco Cervelli: .246/.341/.316/.657 in 99 games at Triple A Scranton/Wilkes Barre

Austin Romine: Injuries cut him to just 31 games and 120 plate appearances

None of these players are suitable options to start, and only passable options as backups. The Yankees cannot afford to have this kind of depth on Opening Day. Martin only got a two-year deal, as did former Braves backup David Ross with the Boston Red Sox.

So, the best options that remain are former Los Angeles Angel of Anaheim and Texas Ranger Mike Napoli and longtime Chicago White Sox backstop AJ Pierzynski. 

Napoli is the cream of the free agent catcher crop, coming off five straight seasons with over 20 home runs. He had his best season in 2011, hitting 30 bombs and putting up a line of .320/.414/.631/1.046. He was an All-Star for the first time this past season.

Pierzynski had the best season of his 15-year career, setting new career highs in home runs, RBI, slugging percentage, OPS and OPS+. He also took home his first Silver Slugger award. 

However, there are problems coming if the Yankees bring either in. Napoli is a very poor defensive catcher, and you can’t put him at first base at all as long as Mark Teixeira is in the lineup. He can still double as a regular in the Yankees’ rotating DH system. But he also is looking for a pretty big deal.

Pierzynski is turning 36 next month, and is a huge risk given his age and the money he may want based on his contract year. Not exactly a guy the Yankees may want based on their plans for the future. 

However, it seems the Yankees may have to bite the bullet. In all honesty, nobody thinks either Napoli or Pierzynski are plans for the long-term future. Heck, neither is Russell Martin.

This has all been about covering the gap between the Jorge Posada era of Yankee catching history to his eventual heir. Jesus Montero is gone, and Austin Romine, Gary Sanchez and J.R. Murphy are still at least a year away from being able to step in as the starting backstop for the next several years.

The Yankees are an aging team with not too many prospects coming very soon. The organization also plans on spending even less than they have for so many years starting in the 2014 season.

This is obviously a reaction to the declines and long-term deals of Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez and CC Sabathia. The Yankees do not want anymore of those contracts on their payroll in the long-term.

However, the Yankees also have plenty of money to spend, with the departures of Martin, closer Rafael Soriano, and outfielder Nick Swisher, a grand total of almost $30 million between the three. 

That is the reason why not bringing back Russell Martin makes so little sense. He only got two years from Pittsburgh, and will only paid an average of $8.5 million, which is the same amount he earned this season. 

So now, the Yankees are forced to fill their spot at catcher with a high-priced free agent (Napoli, Pierzynski) or go with minor league talent (Stewart, Cervelli) in order to eventually bring up one of the three prospects they have still in their farm system.

The Yankees are in this dilemma because of themselves. They have time, but they cannot dawdle, because the remaining options could run out at any time. 

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