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Baseball’s winter meetings are scheduled to kick off on Monday, December 3.

A few teams are already starting to make some interesting moves prior to the annual baseball gathering.

Some of these interesting baseball moves will directly and indirectly affect the Boston Red Sox.

Russell Martin signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates, definitely an unexpected and interesting development. It was first reported here by Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal. Have to wonder if this will cause the New York Yankees to jump back in to the Mike Napoli sweepstakes.

Napoli will almost certainly get four years now, with competition coming between the Texas Rangers, Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners.

Martin’s contract at first glance seems very reasonable for the Pirates. Two years and $17 million. Wonder if the Sox ever talked to Martin about those terms. That contract may seem far more palatable than going to four years for Napoli.

The Sox will likely need to act fast if they plan to get Napoli under contract for next season.

Two other interesting moves have occurred that might indirectly help the Red Sox, plus there’s a rumor to talk about.

The Washington Nationals traded for CF Denard Span, effectively taking them out of the Michael Bourn sweepstakes. Also, mentioned in this Q&A session with Nats’ general manager Mike Rizzo, Mark Zuckerman brings more clarity to the position of 1B Adam LaRoche.

LaRoche sounds like a man without a country, or more specifically a team.

The Red Sox may have a very real choice to make between LaRoche and Napoli. It may come down to who the Sox can get on a shorter contract.

The other move that could impact the Sox was the Atlanta Braves‘ signing of B.J. Upton. I’m sure that Jacoby Ellsbury’s agent Scott Boras was probably a little frustrated with the relatively reasonable five years and $75.25 million that Upton received.

Ellsbury has more upside but Upton has been able to stay on the field more often and be more productive. They are not exactly the same type of player, but if I am the Red Sox, my contract offer to Ellsbury after next season would look very much like Upton’s contract.

Wonder if free-agent CF Michael Bourn will fall into someone’s lap on a short contract with the Nationals and Braves out of the bidding.

Lastly is the report from Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal that the Sox are one the teams talking to Ryan Dempster. Three years for Dempster? No thanks.

Honestly, the Sox can do better than Dempster, a classic National League pitcher. Dempster was exposed in his half-season with the Rangers, struggling against the stronger lineups of the American League.

If the Sox didn’t have John Lackey, I could understand the interest in Dempster a little more. The Sox should be aiming higher for the third spot in their rotation.

By next Thursday, we should start to have a better idea of what the 2013 Red Sox will look like.

Hopefully we will like what we see.  

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If acquiring a catcher is the Boston Red Sox’s main offseason priority, they might as well hire back Bobby Valentine and replace the Bazooka bubble gum bucket with a 30 pack of Bud Light.

But that’s the plan according to the Boston Herald’s Scott Lauber, who reports that the Red Sox have made Mike Napoli their No. 1 priority this winter:

Source: Napoli appears to be #RedSox‘ No. 1 free-agent pursuit; everyone else “1A.” Meeting with Texas tomorrow, could decide before next wk

— Scott Lauber (@ScottLauber) November 27, 2012

This is a fantastic idea. And by that I mean it’s the stupidest thing I’ve heard since Rex Ryan claimed the New York Jets could still make the playoffs after losing a handful of games and still starting Mark Sanchez at quarterback.

Only the Red Sox would make their offseason priority a catcher/first baseman/designated hitter who’s coming off a season in which he hit .227 with 24 home runs and 56 RBI, and this is before we’ve even heard how much Napoli is looking to make.

At this rate, I’m not even sure if you can consider Napoli as a full-time catcher, considering he spent a considerable amount of time at first base due to his inability to keep balls in front of him (eight passed balls) and poor effort throwing runners out (.208 caught stealing percentage).

You could make a case for Napoli being more productive than current Boston catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, but even at that, it’s a far stretch to declare a mediocre catcher and strikeout machine as the No. 1 offseason priority after the pitching staff ranked No. 27 in the MLB in quality starts and sported a team ERA of 4.70.

Ben Cherington must have one strong case of amnesia to forget the way his starters pitched last season, especially “ace” Jon Lester (9-14, 4.82 ERA, 1.38 WHIP).

I’m all for Napoli leaving Texas in favor of Boston—I think he’s a good player who had a down year—but to anoint him the golden nugget of the winter is a complete and utter mistake by the Red Sox.

What they need to be doing is nailing down starting pitching, a closer, corner outfielders and then address the idea of turning Napoli into a full-time first baseman, which is something that Lauber touches on here. 

To each his own, but if the Red Sox are trying to mirror their past two seasons, they’re sure doing a good job of it in the early going of the free-agency period this winter.

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The Boston Red Sox have a few glaring holes to fill this offseason, and they have yet to really dive into the free-agent market.

Boston has made two complementary signings thus far—David Ross and Jonny Gomes—who will each play key roles in the coming season.

But offensively, the Red Sox are still very much without a right fielder and a first baseman. Boston dealt their franchise first baseman, Adrian Gonzalez, to the Los Angeles Dodgers late last year and Cody Ross, who regularly roamed right field in 2012, is a free agent.

The Red Sox have harped on making smart moves and fiscal discipline that will benefit the franchise going forward.

“I think the key is we are absolutely committed to building the best team we can in 2013 and beyond, and we’re going to do that in the most disciplined way possible. When we’ve been at our best, we’ve made good decisions, disciplined decisions,” said Boston general manager Ben Cherington via the Boston Herald.

Even though Boston would be spending a considerable amount of money on moderately long deals, it’s in the team’s best interest to sign both Mike Napoli and Nick Swisher to fill the remaining gaps in the lineup.

George A. King III of the New York Post writes that Swisher, who could ask for around $60 million over four years, could be playing against the New York Yankees come their home opener next season.

According to a person with knowledge of the situation the Red Sox have an interest in the switch-hitting right fielder who can also handle first base. “He’s on their radar,” the person said.

Swisher was Boston’s worst enemy last season, hitting .459/.558/.836 with five home runs and 15 RBI against them in 17 games. The Red Sox barely have any money put toward 2013—only around $68 million, according to Cot’s Contracts—and it would be wise to ensure that he won’t play against them at all in the near future.

Is signing Swisher to a four-year, $60 million deal a disciplined move, though? Yes, because he’s versatile offensively and defensively. Paying around $15 million per season for a player who can hit well from both sides of the plate and play multiple positions is a bargain in this era.

The Red Sox need him to play right field on a daily basis and also be able to fill in should the first baseman need a day off.

Boston could also decide to make Swisher its everyday first baseman as well, but Mike Napoli is much more suited for that role.

Napoli played 28 games at first base for the Texas Rangers last season and has played 133 over the course of his career. Signing Napoli, however, would also be a healthy task since he’s reportedly asking for a fourth year, according to ESPN’s Jim Bowden.

Mike Napoli holding out for 4th year from Red Sox…meeting with Mariners who might be willing to give the extra year according to sources

— JIM BOWDEN (@JimBowdenESPNxm) November 22, 2012

Napoli is another Red Sox killer who can play first base easily and also catch, which has been his primary position in his career. In just three games at Fenway Park last season, Napoli collected six hits in 13 at-bats, three of those hits going over the fence for home runs. He drove in eight runs and scored four times in those three games.

The Red Sox already have three catchers on their roster so signing Napoli would either suggest that Boston would trade either Jarrod Saltalamacchia or Ryan Lavarnway, or use Napoli habitually at first. Either way, he would provide another huge boost to Boston’s lineup, which could look like this should the Red Sox sign both Napoli and Swisher:

Jacoby Ellsbury CF, Dustin Pedroia 2B, David Ortiz DH, Mike Napoli 1B, Nick Swisher RF, Will Middlebrooks 3B, Jonny Gomes LF, Jarrod Saltalamacchia C, Jose Iglesias SS

Boston may still have holes with its pitching staff, but that looks like the lineup of a contending baseball team, if you ask me.

The big question will be whether Cherington and the Red Sox decide to spend the money in order to compete as early as next season.

“I know that we’ll have a very strong payroll, a large payroll,” said Cherington on WEEI via The Boston Globe. “I know that we’re going to add to it this winter. I’m confident in saying that we’ll be amongst the larger payrolls in the game. We just have to look at each opportunity as it comes and figure out whether it’s the right thing for the Red Sox.”

Adding Napoli and Swisher to Boston’s payroll would easily make it one of the highest in the game, but is it the right thing for the Red Sox?

By signing the duo, the Red Sox would be bolstering their lineup, filling gaps they currently have to fill and making themselves contenders once again. If that’s not the right thing, then I don’t know what is.

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Starting pitching. A left fielder. A leadoff man.

All three of those things were of the utmost importance for the Toronto Blue Jays heading into the 2012 offseason.

All three of those needs have since been filled by Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos, and not in any small way. The Jays splurged in a blockbuster deal with the Miami Marlins and then proceeded to sign left fielder Melky Cabrera to a two-year $16 million contract.

With those deals alone, the Jays are set to compete in baseball’s toughest division.

Could there be something else in the works?

At the moment, there is still another position that could use a major upgrade: designated hitter.

As it stands now, the Jays, in all likelihood, would be using Adam Lind or Edwin Encarnacion as DH, with the other handling first base duties.

Could the Jays make a push to sign Texas Rangers catcher Mike Napoli?

The move would make sense for the team, as it would solidify their batting order and add another power bat to a lineup that already includes Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Brett Lawrie.

A Mike Napoli signing would give the Jays a formidable starting nine, with an exceptional balance of speed and power.

Napoli‘s pretty much a lock to muscle out at least 20 home runs every year and can play catcher, first base or DH. What’s even more reassuring, is that he recently told ESPN that he’d be willing to play any position as long as he could get into the lineup.

Furthermore, Napoli is is a rare power hitter who can also get on base at a respectable clip. In fact, in every one of his major league seasons, Napoli has had an on-base percentage of over .340 (h/t baseball reference), except 2010. Napoli would also add a veteran presence to the clubhouse.

The cherry on top of a Napoli signing would be the fact that the Jays would be taking the free agent slugger away from their division rivals, the Boston Red Sox, who also have shown interest in Napoli, according to the same ESPN report.

While it may not come cheap, the Jays picking up Mike Napoli would be the last piece to the puzzle and just about lock up the team’s first playoff berth in two decades.

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With the pain of losing the World Series finally subsiding for Texas Ranger fans, it’s time for a retrospective appreciation.  

While C.J. Wilson was busy getting lured away by the Los Angeles Angels, the Rangers have been more or less quiet this offseason.  I wanted to take a moment and highlight a player that I feel will have a huge impact on the Rangers in 2012: Mike Napoli.

Every year, the fall classic brings out the best in some previously unknown player. In 2010, Cody Ross stole the show for the San Francisco Giants.  This year, Mike Napoli proved himself to be a legitimate big-game player.  Going into this World Series, I swore that Adrian Beltre would be the MVP of the series.  (Granted, I also thought the Rangers were going to win it all.)

Having said that, if the Rangers had won the World Series, Mike Napoli would have undoubtedly been the MVP.

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Peter Hjort, over at Capitol Avenue Club, wrote about where the Braves could look to upgrade on offense.  Although Atlanta’s offense should eventually come around and be just fine, firstbase is the place to start if the Braves are looking to upgrade. 

Freddie Freeman, 21, has held his own to some degree but isn’t quite ready to be much more than a replacement-level firstbaseman, if that.  In a perfect world, Freeman would still be working on his offensive game in the minors, but coming into this season, the Braves felt that a) their offense was good enough elsewhere to make up for any of Freeman’s deficiencies and b) Freeman was adequate, so there was no need to break the bank to acquire a firstbaseman. 

The rest of the offense hasn’t done its part so far, thanks to injuries, Dan Uggla’s struggles and a seemingly inexplicable lack of patience at the plate compared to last season.  The Braves really can’t do much elsewhere (see Peter’s piece for position-by-position details on why), so firstbase is the most reasonable place to start. 

Here’s a bold idea: Mike Napoli.  He would clearly be an offensive upgrade at firstbase, he would give the Braves a third catcher (allowing David Ross to pinch-hit more) and he’s relatively cheap.

But would he get enough playing time to give the Braves equal value to what they would likely have to give up to get him?  If Freeman continues to struggle and needs more minor league seasoning, Napoli could clearly be the regular firstbaseman. 

But he’s under contract through next season.  Do the Braves want to give up players and dollars when they have Freeman and when they already have the best backup catcher in baseball?  Essentially they’d be making a move to try to win this year and hope that someone would take Napoli off their hands next season. 

They probably wouldn’t have an issue getting rid of Napoli, as he’s a very good hitter and he can play catcher.  But his trade value would drop since teams know the Braves pretty much have to trade him.  

Still, I think Napoli is the kind of talent that other teams would basically bid for on the trade market.  So even if the Braves couldn’t get full value for Napoli after this season, what they could get would probably be worth a trade for him this season.

The only issue then is what it would take for the Braves to acquire Napoli.  He is obviously very valuable to the Rangers and the Rangers are obviously contenders this season, so they wouldn’t part with Napoli very easily.

Yorvit Torrealba is the regular starting catcher in Texas and the other backup is Taylor Teagarden, a 27-year-old who hasn’t done much in parts of four seasons in the majors.  But Teagarden has the talent so he’s not a horrible option to move to second on the depth chart at catcher. 

As far as where the Rangers need an upgrade, it’s actually hard to find many weaknesses.  The first thing that comes to mind is pitching but the Rangers have the second best ERA-plus in the majors (ERA adjusted for league and ballpark).  

Texas’s offense has been mediocre so far, but they were without both Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz for a time.  Elvis Andrus isn’t a very good hitter, but they aren’t giving up on his youth or defense, especially considering he showed last season that he can post a respectable OBP for a shortstop.  They could use a backup infielder who could play up the middle defensively better than Michael Young.

Texas is a pretty stacked team that should hang with the likes of the Red Sox, Yankees and Rays all season, barring major injuries.  A couple of top prospects and a major-league-ready backup infielder might do the trick, if the Rangers want to use Napoli’s value to acquire mostly future talent. 

Left-hander Mike Minor, a choice of infielders Brandon Hicks or Diory Hernandez and Aroldys Vizcaino for Napoli may be worthwhile for both the Rangers and the Braves.  Minor would give the Rangers a major league ready starter with future upside, Hicks or Hernandez would give them a capable middle-infield backup better than Andres Blanco and better defensively than Michael Young, and Aroldys Vizcaino would give them a young starter with No. 2 upside.

Napoli would give the Braves a big offensive upgrade at firstbase, allowing Freeman to spend some more time in the minors.  He also gives them that third catcher, allowing them to utilize Ross more as a pinch-hitter. 

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It’s been a little over three months since Toronto Blue Jays GM, Alex Anthopoulos, dealt Vernon Wells and the remainder of his ridiculous $126 million contract to the Anaheim Angels. The move that shook up Toronto’s baseball landscape is making the young Blue Jays GM look better by the day.

His Anaheim counterpart, Angels’ GM Tony Reagins…not so much.

Heading into the weekend, it’s safe to say that Wells (1 HR, 5 RBI, .178 AVG) isn’t having the kind of start to the season that Reagins was hoping for when he traded for the former Jays’ All-Star. Even after only 25 games, looking at those numbers, the Angels’ GM has to be sweating a little bit.

The deal was made at the end of January and sent Wells and $5 million in cash to Anaheim in exchange for OF Juan Rivera and C/1B Mike Napoli. Napoli was then flipped to the Texas Rangers in exchange for closer Frank Francisco.

Thus far this season Rivera (2 HR, 6 RBI, .215 AVG) has played in 19 games for the Bluebirds, and Francisco, who started the season on the DL with an injured pectoral muscle, has appeared in four games for the Jays, earning one win in relief and sporting an ERA of 2.09.

The Jays might not have gotten any game changers in return for Wells, but at this point, the fact that they got anything in return for the struggling outfielder, without having to pay virtually any of the remaining $80 million on his contract, is already making Anthopoulos look like he outright swindled the Angels.

After the trade, the young GM made his motivation for moving Wells’ clear.

“The financial implications were certainly a large component,” Anthopoulos said. “There’s no question going forward this will give us flexibility.”

In this case, “flexibility” is a gross understatement. Wells’ contract is still considered by many to be one of the worst contracts in baseball history. The inflexibility that comes with it is now Tony Reagins’ problem.

To be fair to Reagins, Vernon did have a good season last year, hitting .278, with 31 homers and 88 RBI’s in 157 games. However, as Jays fans know all too well, those numbers have become the exception rather than the rule when it comes to Wells. Over the previous three seasons, between 2007 and 2009, he averaged only 17 homers and 75 RBI, while playing in an average of 138 games for the Jays.

Those numbers certainly do not reflect a $126 million player. So what was Tony Reagins thinking when he traded for the grossly overpaid 32-year-old?

At the time of the trade, he had this to say:

“Vernon is a player we have admired for some time,” Reagins said in an earlier statement. “He is a tremendous person and the type of player that will impact our club immediately, both on offense and defense.”

Wells’ “impact” on offense and defense is already being felt in Anaheim, and if Reagins’ admiration hasn’t turned into outright concern just yet, the continuing criticism of both Wells’ play, and the trade itself, has to be weighing on his mind. 

His Blue Jays counterpart on the other hand, Mr. Anthopoulos, is sitting pretty. With each passing game, Vernon Wells seems to be doing his best to make that deal look like one of the greatest trades in Toronto Blue Jays history.

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