Red Sox President and CEO Larry Lucchino confirmed to Jim Bowden of MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (via Twitter) that the club hopes to sign Mike Napoli, though it has to be on a three-year deal, not a four-year deal.  Lucchino added that the club is in on Hamilton (Twitter link) but they won't go to six, seven, or eight years to make it happen. 

if we could get him at 5 years...do it.

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/red_sox/view/20221203new_place_same_wait_as_sox_mull/

 

but i'd take napoli and victorino also....

Neither Napoli nor switch-hitting Shane Victorino received qualifying offers. The Red Sox have talked to Victorino, who would fill the void in right field and may have to settle for a shorter-term deal than fellow free agent outfielders Josh Hamilton, Michael Bourn and even Angel Pagan.

I'd rather Swisher/LaRoche I think LaRoche said hes looking for 2 or 3 years and with Swisher even though hes older he gets on base, and played fine in New York and wouldn't have to worry about him being able to handle it. Also his numbers in Fenway are good.

I love Hamilton but I honestly think anything more than 3 years is asking for trouble. I will support this player if he comes here but I hope the FO doesn't think it needs to feed us candy to have our support.

In response to JohnnyLefty's comment:

but we wouldn't have to give up draft picks with napoli and victorino...laroche and swisher we have to.

In response to EnchiladaT's comment:

i hear you..but hamilton is worth a 5 year deal...the guy would do damage in fenway..same as napoli.

prefer laroche/hamilton, willing to give up a pick to get loroche instead of napoli

In response to soxnewmex's comment:

that would be nice..2 leftys?

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napoli hit 220 something last year, another 220 hitter like salty, don't like 220 hitters

other people wanted reynolds, another 220 hitter

all these guys hit 20 homers but they all hit 220

don't want any of them

the sooner they trade salty the better

left right don't care, like guys who can hit for average like hamilton/laroche with power too

already have gomes a 240 hitter righty with 20 homers

and ross another righty still might sign 260 plus 20 homers

 

 

In response to soxnewmex's comment:

yeah i don't care about the left and right thing also...i get what you are saying...

hamilton makes sense for the sox but only for 5 years or less. one thing to keep in mind with him is that he does not have the typical wear and tear on him that a 31 yr old player would have. hes only played 6 years in the majors. so i think the sox would do well signing him for 5 years. they need to replace adrian gonzalez's bat and hamilton would do that no problem. he put up .285 43 and 128. napoli on the other hand im not sure i like. is he a good player? yes. he hits for tons of power but he sucks defensively and is not really a 1B. in reality the sox need a 3 hitter and a 4 hitter. hamilton would fill one of those spots, but really the sox should be targeting another big bat for first. not a guy who hits .220 like napoli. the sox should be aiming much higher. or if they really want napoli, aim higher for lf, assuming hamilton would be right field, if the sox signed him and napoli, then they trade for a LF. (gomes would be the back up). someone like justin upton would be great. a 3/4 combo of hamilton and upton would be up there as one of top 3/4 combos in the league. 

In response to raider3524's comment:

Napoli would play about 48 games a year at Fenway, just how much damage can he do overall?

RS let Larry Luckyone run team last year, How did that turn out? Needs to keep his mouth shut [do his own job] and let Ben run team this year and see if he has what it takes.

In response to Softlaw1's comment:

I agree I wouldn't go more than 2 yrs on Napoli. As for Hamilton I'd go as far as 4 yrs w/ an option yr, he's worth the reach. 

I would not believe anything that Larry Luchinno says. He is a spin doctor. We will be in on in but will not do anything. Call me a cynic but I will believe it when I see it.

Incidentally I read that the Dodgers went to him to make that deal (Punto Deal) not Ben Cherrington as I had suspected. Larry Luchinno is the real GM of the Red Sox not Ben Cherrington, who is window dressing.

In response to JohnnyLefty's comment:

No thanx for Hamilton, good power hitter but will not handle the pressure in Red Sox nation. 50/50 shot that he could end being a Crawford remake. High expectations and ending with disappointment. High risk is too high. I personally would rather see Cody Ross playing OF lower risk factor. If the Sox sign Hamilton hopefully i am wrong and next season i am eating crow.

If we sign Napoli first then the Sox will not need Hamilton. This is just my opinion.

In response to EnchiladaT's comment:

48? Last time I checked there were 81 home games per year...

Hamilton for 4 plus a 5th year option fits rather nicely with what this team is trying to do.  About the time that  Hamilton's contract is up, it will be arbitration years and possilbe long-term extensions for Brentz, Bradley and/or Kalish.  Also means trading Ellsbury NOW is more of a possibility.

Reynolds at 1b would be my choice.  No draft pick sacrificed.  Lots of power.  Decent, if not spectacular defense at first.

Hamilton, Reynolds, Ortiz, Gomes.  Those four, batting 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th could amass 120 Hrs between them.  Then you can live with Iglesias's lack of offense at SS. 

That said.  No to Hamilton if it means not picking up one of the best starters on the market.  That is THE priority, IMO.

In response to soxnewmex's comment:

Difference with Napoli and Reynolds is that they both draw walks, so even when they hit in the .220s, they are getting on base at a clip above .300.  Not the case with Salty.  Don't know for sure, but I imagine Reynolds is less of a plug on the bases than Napoli.  I would prefer Reynolds to Napoli, and I would prefer Salty go in a trade, perhaps with Ells and Doubront for a top starter if that can be worked out.

In response to parhunter55's comment:

Where are you hitting Middlebrooks? He has to be in the middle of the order somewhere.

In response to JohnnyLefty's comment:

The only time Swisher doen't get on base is during the playoffs ? Maybe find a playoff bat to replace him. NO TO THE SWISHER

In response to raider3524's comment:

Hamilton..3 years max......Napoli bad catcher and just as if not worse firstbaseman.But he can hit at Fenway .What about on the road? This would be a ( panic ) sign by Management