Napoli Hunt

[MakMan44]

Yeah, Morrison is a guy I'd love for the Sox to pick up. I can't imagine he'd cost a ton to get and he's surprisingly good at taking a walk. Even in his last couple injury shortened season he's still managed to put a decent wRC+ and moving him permanently to first will help with his knee problems. 
 
EDIT: Getting him out of Marlins Park should help with his power too. His ISO (last season) away from home was nearly 60 points higher. 

 

[benhogan]

That's really useful and I'm willing to bet its a closer approximation to how the FO actually thinks than a thought process just based on staying under $189M.

I think I let Napoli walk rather than going to three years, for the following reasons:

1. There may be bargain hunting values later in the off-season, at 1B and elsewhere, and I don't want to tie our hands too early. Recent years have shown that a lot of savvy acquisitions can be made later in the off-season.

2. First base is a relatively easy position to replace, if not in the offseason then during the season.

3. Napoli has huge amounts of risk attached to him: Its not just the hip condition and all that entails, its also his career high BABIP in 2013, his career worst K% in 2013 (a borderline unsustainable 32%), and real questions about whether his defensive performance, which accounted for a good chunk of his value, is likely to be repeated.

4. I like high draft picks.

BINGO
 
5. Carp played well enough last season to get a chance at starting in 2014
 
6. use $$$ saved at 1B to extend/lock up Jon Lester for another 4 years

 

[Savin Hillbilly]

Yeah, Morrison is a guy I'd love for the Sox to pick up. I can't imagine he'd cost a ton to get and he's surprisingly good at taking a walk. Even in his last couple injury shortened season he's still managed to put a decent wRC+ and moving him permanently to first will help with his knee problems. 
 
EDIT: Getting him out of Marlins Park should help with his power too. His ISO (last season) away from home was nearly 60 points higher. 

 
Can you explain to me why a team with Mike Carp would give anything up for Logan Morrison? They seem pretty equivalent--not identical, but equivalent. Morrison has better BB and K rates (especially the latter), but worse BABIP and HR/FB (and they've both played in crappy hitter's parks, so that's not really a factor). Their slash lines are remarkably similar both at the major and minor league levels. Both seem like unexceptional but passable defensive 1Bs. Why is Morrison better?