Sources say Napoli signs with Sox.

[dupree]

Another day and no word on Napoli.

 

I still think the deal gets done, but with looking at the Rangers signing Berkman and slotting him in at DH and at 10million not baring injury hes in the lineup everyday, Mike Olt is the odd man out of Texas and with Moreland at 1B and Beltre at 3rd unless he can play OF is prolly back to AAA or riding the pine in the show. My question is can Olt play 1B or a move of WMB to 1B and Olt to 3rd. Reading some of the tweets related to Napoli's hip i get more and more scared he is 1 diving play away from being on the DL more than being healthy i just dont want him to handicap us like ARod has handicapped the Yankees.

 

The thought just came to mind and i havent really thought what the trade chips would be but other than Morse who i think has a lot of upside who also could be the odd man out in Washington, Olt could play 1B or 3B and WMB the other it would save money to pass on Napoli make a trade and have young talent maning the corners. I think it would easier to teach one or the other to play 1B than have to use Gomez who showed nothing last nite while napoli is laid up on the DL.

 

The red sox need to get this 1B situation done quickly so if the front contract falls through the sox have options.

[mvp 78]

Would tweets from reporters show up on a Google search?

 

Which reporter? Cafardo hasn't tweeted in 2 weeks.

[jopete19]

Looks like we gotta get Napoli... Nationals To Sign Adam LaRoche.

 

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/01/nationals-to-sign-adam-laroche-1.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

[a700hitter]

Looks like we gotta get Napoli... Nationals To Sign Adam LaRoche.

 

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/01/nationals-to-sign-adam-laroche-1.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

They could shift their focus to trading for Morse.

[BSN07]

Looks like we gotta get Napoli... Nationals To Sign Adam LaRoche.

 

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2013/01/nationals-to-sign-adam-laroche-1.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

 

Laroche was never a fit. I would like them to look in on how much Morse will cost. I'd be ok with him at 1B if the price wasn't outrageous. Take the money saved and add another SP for depth.

[jopete19]

Laroche was never a fit. I would like them to look in on how much Morse will cost. I'd be ok with him at 1B if the price wasn't outrageous. Take the money saved and add another SP for depth.

 

Wouldn't it be nice to add another SP for depth, but I don't think that's gonna happen.

[BSN07]

Wouldn't it be nice to add another SP for depth, but I don't think that's gonna happen.

 

I will be surprised if a couple guys were not brought in on minor league deals. I'm still hoping for Jurrjens.

[jopete19]

I will be surprised if a couple guys were not brought in on minor league deals. I'm still hoping for Jurrjens.

 

I could see a couple of minor league deals too. I haven't read much talk about Bard on here... He is going to come out of the bullpen or be a starter? I'm guessing he'll start in AAA.

[BSN07]

I could see a couple of minor league deals too. I haven't read much talk about Bard on here... He is going to come out of the bullpen or be a starter? I'm guessing he'll start in AAA.

 

BP. He will have a look in ST to see if his velocity is back.

[redsoxfan3]

They could shift their focus to trading for Morse.

 

There are reports that the Red Sox are hopeful for a deal. Now I know that means that we are not 100% guaranteed to sign Napoli, but maybe there is a lot of confidence in a deal more than anyone is reporting. LaRoche wanted a 3 year deal and caved in to taking two years from the Nats. One of the only other teams he was talking to was the Red Sox. I think it is logical to speculate that he might have caved in for two years from the Nats because he gave up hope of getting three years from the Red Sox the day after it was announced that the Red Sox are hopeful things will work out with Napoli. I would be surprised at this point if the Napoli deal falls through. I think one of the sides would have given up by now if they did not think it would work out.

 

Now if for some reason the deal does not work out, then I think we have to start thinking about trade ideas for Morse or Morneau.

[BSN07]

There are reports that the Red Sox are hopeful for a deal. Now I know that means that we are not 100% guaranteed to sign Napoli, but maybe there is a lot of confidence in a deal more than anyone is reporting. LaRoche wanted a 3 year deal and caved in to taking two years from the Nats. One of the only other teams he was talking to was the Red Sox. I think it is logical to speculate that he might have caved in for two years from the Nats because he gave up hope of getting three years from the Red Sox the day after it was announced that the Red Sox are hopeful things will work out with Napoli. I would be surprised at this point if the Napoli deal falls through. I think one of the sides would have given up by now if they did not think it would work out.

 

Now if for some reason the deal does not work out, then I think we have to start thinking about trade ideas for Morse or Morneau.

 

I think the Sox were interested in some regards but not serious because of the draft pick it was going to cost them.

 

I actually would rather they pass o Napoli at this point and go for Morse or Morneau(subject to change if the price is ridiculous, which I have a hard time believing it would be for either player).

[redsoxfan3]

I think the Sox were interested in some regards but not serious because of the draft pick it was going to cost them.

 

I actually would rather they pass o Napoli at this point and go for Morse or Morneau(subject to change if the price is ridiculous, which I have a hard time believing it would be for either player).

 

I agree with you there about LaRoche, but I do know that he probably would have signed in Boston if we offered him three years. I am glad we didn't. I don't know the seriousness of the discussions between both sides, but it was reported that they were talking. The draft pick was a big thing.

 

Like I said, I would be surprised at this point if we do not get Napoli. I am interested in seeing who we could trade for to play 1B, but I am just preparing for us signing Napoli. I am just hoping that he can get back to playing around 140 games again like he did in 2010, especially if he is not catching that much. His 2011 numbers were ridiculous. He played 113 games and had 30 HR's, 75 RBI's, and a slash line of .320/.414/.631. My expectations are not as much for him in terms of his slash line, but I think if he can play 130-140 games that the 30 HR's and 75 RBI's are not unrealistic. If he can have a slash line around his career averages of .259/.356/.507 and an OPS of .863, while putting up 25-30 HR's and 70+ RBI's, then I will be extremely happy. Now it is a question mark if he can do that, but that type of production is what we need.

[Bellhorn04]

I could see a couple of minor league deals too. I haven't read much talk about Bard on here... He is going to come out of the bullpen or be a starter? I'm guessing he'll start in AAA.

 

I think, unfortunately, most people on here, including myself, are operating under the assumption that Bard is f***ed. If he's not it will be a bonus at this point.

[iortiz]

Hope he signs and has a monster year so that I can watch you guys backpedal.

 

While I think this Napoli thing is getting ridiculous, I bet every red sox fan will be very happy if he signs and has a monster year.

[BSN07]

I think, unfortunately, most people on here, including myself, are operating under the assumption that Bard is f***ed. If he's not it will be a bonus at this point.

 

That is not my assumption. I prefer to wait and see if the life in his FB returned after a winter of training to be a RP. If he's throwing 96+ again I think he will be a solid piece in the BP.

[a700hitter]

That is not my assumption. I prefer to wait and see if the life in his FB returned after a winter of training to be a RP. If he's throwing 96+ again I think he will be a solid piece in the BP.

He'll get his chance in Spring Training. HAs he pitched anywhere over the winter? I have not seen any reports on him.

[BSN07]

He'll get his chance in Spring Training. HAs he pitched anywhere over the winter? I have not seen any reports on him.

 

I don't think he's in any winter ball. But a chance to rest and reset over the winter plus some strengthening drills can go along way. I believe his loss of velocity was due to being bounced between RP to SP to RP. Everything just kind of snow balled on him last season and he just couldn't bounce back. I think we see a new fresh Bard that more resembles '11 Bard then '12. But we just have to wait and see what it looks like in March.

[jung]

Bard has never had the most repeatable motion in baseball and it has been a nagging problem throughout what he has had for a career to date. His consistency has never been what you would call good IMO. Bard has had periods when he has elevated it to "passable". More often than not he has struggled to even achieve that standard.

 

Last I saw of what he was doing in the farm system..he was all over the map and had no idea where the ball was going.

 

He has struggled with this for so long I almost don't wonder if somebody should just try to rebuild a motion for him in an effort to find something repeatable and good at the same time. Off and on they have had him just pitch from the stretch in an effort to find some consistency. At this point he may just have a better shot with a new motion than once again finding his motion and hope not to lose it again twenty or thirty batters later.

 

In one sense Bard may just be a good way to understand how difficult pitching at the ML level really is as an occupation. You lose it in the middle of a stint...you know you have lost it ..... and....there you are staring down the barrel of the Prince Fielders of the world without any idea where the ball is going. You can't even get out of it...can't even walk away. The surest way to make sure you won't see the mound again anytime soon is to call your pitching coach out to the mound and tell him you have to come out cause you have no idea where the ball is going.

 

IMO if at this point Bard is once again trying to find it, I would say that he has done that over and over throughout his career to date with little success and my expectations would be very low for him. If somebody has taken the off season with him and is trying to help him rebuild a new motion from scratch as difficult as that sounds I would actually like his chances better if he was doing that.

 

He probably has to stop thinking about it so much as well. One issue that Bard likely stumbled on as a starter is that thinking and throwing does not appear to be a strong suit for him. He appears to be a thrower and to the extent that he can get through an inning or two that way it is likely his best shot at a return. It appears to me that if he does return, the most we can expect from him is to take the ball, throw it, get it back from the catcher and throw it again. Keep doing that until the Manager decides it give somebody else a turn.

[Bellhorn04]

The loss of velocity was one thing. The frequent inability to get the ball over the plate was another.

[SoxSport]

Worth noting: Napoli was on the DL last year from approx mid-Aug to mid-Sept. When he returned, in his last 16 games he hit 7 dingers and had 16 RBI.

 

A cortisone shot might do that. Might not.

 

If they sign this guy, and it comes out he has a degenerating condition with his hip, there will be hell to pay with the fans and the media.

 

The fact they wouldn't give LaRoche 3 years is a sign they are only willing to go 2 years on Napoli now. They weren't going to give LaRoche any more than what they are giving Napoli.

At least that's what it looks like to me.

 

What they should do now is trade for Morse, who needs a fulltime job. He's a better hitter than LaRoche and can play the OF as well as 1B.

[jung]

Well once bone starts wearing on bone it is only a matter of time. The question is when and whether it falls apart all at once (not as likely) or more gradually ( more likely).

 

I do agree with you. If the Sox knuckle under to Napoli to sign him and then the hip becomes an issue there will very likely be hell to pay. I just don't think the Sox are going to knuckle under. I suspect it will have to be Napoli that gives some.

[a700hitter]

A cortisone shot might do that. Might not.

 

If they sign this guy, and it comes out he has a degenerating condition with his hip, there will be hell to pay with the fans and the media.

 

The fact they wouldn't give LaRoche 3 years is a sign they are only willing to go 2 years on Napoli now. They weren't going to give LaRoche any more than what they are giving Napoli.

At least that's what it looks like to me.

 

What they should do now is trade for Morse, who needs a fulltime job. He's a better hitter than LaRoche and can play the OF as well as 1B.

Nevermind the fans and the media, JH will be mad enough to spit if Cherries throws away between $26-39 million after freeing up All that payroll last August.

[BSN07]

The loss of velocity was one thing. The frequent inability to get the ball over the plate was another.

 

His inability to consistently throw the ball over the plate has always been there. It's less of a worry though when throwing 97+ MPH as opposed to 92 MPH. The velocity loss is the biggest concern for Bard. If that comes back it will cure a lot of the accuracy issues IMO.

[Dojji]

Bard himself blames back issues.

[BSN07]

Bard himself blames back issues.

 

Really? I didn't know there was any physical issue. A back issue is a reasonable cause for loss of velocity. But as hopeful I am about the velocity turn, I know have to be weary of a lingering back issue. Damn you dojji

[Dojji]

"I probably didn't tell a lot of it to the trainers, and probably should have gotten treatment on it pretty regularly, but at the same time I was trying to make the rotation and I didn't want to miss a start, which would have hurt my chances. I just kind of pitched through it. Normally it was fine. I wasn't thinking about it out on the mound, ever. But it was an issue between starts, and once your adrenaline kicked in you might forget about it. But there were probably still some issues there. I've had lower back stiffness throughout my whole career, this was just a little bit more."

 

http://www.weei.com/sports/boston/baseball/red-sox/rob-bradford/2012/12/29/rediscovering-daniel-bard-reliever-ready-offe

[a700hitter]

Bard himself blames back issues.

 

The fact that he didn't regain his velocity after 3 months of pitching in short relief and any semblance of command was lost leads me to think that there is something structurally wrong.

Let's hope that his arm has not been affected by pitching with the bad back.

[jung]

"I probably didn't tell a lot of it to the trainers, and probably should have gotten treatment on it pretty regularly, but at the same time I was trying to make the rotation and I didn't want to miss a start, which would have hurt my chances. I just kind of pitched through it. Normally it was fine. I wasn't thinking about it out on the mound, ever. But it was an issue between starts, and once your adrenaline kicked in you might forget about it. But there were probably still some issues there. I've had lower back stiffness throughout my whole career, this was just a little bit more."

 

I have seen posts in these pages referring to Bard as "seemingly a bright kid". Sure he is. Sharp as a tack!

[a700hitter]

I have seen posts in these pages referring to Bard as "seemingly a bright kid". Sure he is. Sharp as a tack!

He has just enough brains to be a danger to himself.

[Dojji]

Let's hope that his arm has not been affected by pitching with the bad back.

That is unfortunately a possibility. It's very very likely that that's what happened to Josh Bekett.

 

If you favor your back, you're trying to get more velocity from your shoulder, and that's how careers end.