The Red Sox Are Giving Out 3-Year Deals Worth $39 Million Like They're Going Out Of Style

The Red Sox are certainly enjoying their time in Nashville for MLB's Winter Meetings. A day after they signed Mike Napoli, Boston inked outfielder Shane Victorino to the exact same deal: three years for $39 million.

Whereas the Napoli signing was almost a foregone conclusion that had been talked about for weeks, Victorino at least initially is way more surprising since it felt like they swooped in and got him in the last few days. After playing the bulk of his career with the Phillies (2005-12), he was moved at the trade deadline last season to the Dodgers.

Combined in 154 games last season (101 in Philadelphia, 53 in Los Angeles), Victorino had the worst year of his career: .255/.321 OBP/.383 SLG with 11 homers, 55 RBIs, 39 stolen bases, 29 doubles, seven triples and 72 runs. Coming off that scares me but his history shows that he's a high quality player: two All-Star game appearances (2009 and 2011) plus three Gold Gloves (2008, 2009 and 2010).

The funny thing is that Victorino has been known primarily as a center fielder and lead-off hitter (he hits both ways). Hmmm, what about Jacoby Ellsbury? For now, the Red Sox are saying that Shane will play the tricky right field at Fenway Park but I'll believe it when I see it. Ellsbury is a free agent after this season and since Scott Boras is his agent, most believe there is no chance he returns to Boston. So why not trade him now for something they can use immediately (pitching!)? Plus, it would be beyond dumb to let him walk in free agency, only to receive a draft pick. He is also coming off a brutal season but he was the runner-up to the AL MVP in 2011 plus he's still young so he has a long fruitful career ahead of him.

Like Napoli, Johnny Gomes and David Ross, Victorino is known around baseball as a veteran leader and a winner. Napoli went to the 2011 World Series with Texas but Victorino trumps that with a World Series title in 2008 with Philadelphia and they returned to the Fall Classic the next season but lost to the Yankees. That is something intangible that the Red Sox have been sorely lacking for years. The most important thing is always production on the field but the hope is that these guys can give them plenty of both-leadership and numbers.

Shane just turned 32 and next spring he will enter his 10th year in MLB. That's plenty of mileage (1076 games and 4295 plate appearances) for a guy that plays such a physical style and he's only 5-foot-9 for what that's worth. If he sticks around, Ellsbury could certainly learn from Victorino about durability. The Flyin' Hawaiian (maybe the best nickname in MLB) has played at least 131 games in his seven full seasons.

For his career, he's scored 616 runs, had 1060 hits including 195 doubles, 65 triples, 90 homers and 409 RBIs with 201 stolen bases. He's a .275/.341 OBP/.770 SLG which is very respectable. He is an interesting guy that plays an exciting, hard-nosed style. So long as he returns to his normal level and not something like last season, Red Sox fans should grow to love him in a matter of mere weeks in 2013.

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That's A Wrap On Julian Edelman's 2012 Season, I Hope That He Enjoyed It

Will Julian Edelman ever play 16 games in an NFL regular season? That's the inevitable question you have to ask yourself at this moment although truth be told, we probably won't need to bother with thoughts like that soon enough. After appearing in 15 games in 2010 and 13 games last season, his 2012 is over with only nine games under his belt.

Today, New England's third wide receiver and main punt returner was placed on season-ending IR with a broken foot that requires surgery. He injured it on Sunday in Miami on what seemed to be a pretty harmless play. That news has to leave him devastated since not only was this something of a breakout season for him but he's also heading into free agency this winter so he probably just lost a decent amount of money.

We all know that it was a joke when the Patriots tried to faze Wes Welker out of the offense at the beginning of the season and make Edelman into Welker 2.0. The results were laughable since Edelman isn't half the slot receiver that Welker is. With that said, I can admit that in the last few weeks, Edelman finally seemed to have found a role on a Super Bowl contender: jack of all trades.

Against the Colts on November 18, he piled up seven catches for 58 yards and a touchdown, a 47-yard run and a touchdown on a punt return. He followed that up with another pair of scores the next game against the Jets: he had three catches for 64 yards and a touchdown plus he returned a fumble on New York's kickoff return for a touchdown. For the season, he had 21 catches on 32 targets for 235 yards and three touchdowns. On 17 punt returns, he had 263 yards for an average of 15.5 yards (2nd best in the NFL) and a touchdown.

His absence will probably be noticed most on special teams, primarily punt returns where now Welker ironically should slide into his role. This is why Donte' Stallworth was re-signed, although obviously they play much different roles and are nowhere close to the same player. Bigger picture, you have to wonder if this has changed New England's thinking in regards to Welker's contract situation. They tried to groom Edelman to be his replacement but clearly he's not up to the job for two main reasons-injuries and skill. Why not make everyone happy and bring back the man himself? Just some food for thought on a quiet Tuesday.

The Patriots also released offensive lineman Mitch Petrus and signed offensive linemen Tommie Draheim and Colin Miller to the practice squad.

UPDATE 12/6: Petrus was signed by Tennessee. Haha so many teams scoop up their useless scraps right after New England lets them go, it never gets old.

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Matt Light To Be Honored At Halftime On Monday Night During Patriots-Texans

There is no other way to say it, the next two weeks for the Patriots are going to be awesome: they play two consecutive nationally-televised games as they host the Texans (11-1) on Monday night (8:30 p.m., ESPN) and then the Niners (8-3-1) on the following Sunday night (8:20 p.m., NBC). Since Houston is in the AFC and the current No. 1 seed, it's not an understatement to say that Monday night is the biggest game of the regular season for New England.

With that in mind, it's nice to hear that the team is treating it like such and pulling out all the stops both on and off the field for their fans. Today it was announced that retired offensive tackle Matt Light will be honored at halftime on Monday. Kevin Faulk was similarly feted earlier this season. Light officially retired in May after playing his entire NFL career in New England (2001-2011). What's more, he revealed that he had competed while battling Crohn's disease.

I have no doubt that this will pull in Monday Night Football's biggest rating of the season (at least so far) since it is the best matchup. They've been cursed with a bunch of crappy games but that certainly won't be the case on Monday at Gillette Stadium. It's a huge contest in terms of playoff seeding in the AFC since a Texans win would basically ensure that they get the top seed and a bye while the Patriots would have to scrap for the second seed at best. Conversely, if New England can beat Houston, not only would it make it possible to get the No. 1 seed but more importantly, they could gain plenty of confidence knowing they beat the Texans and got one step closer to home-field in the AFC playoffs.

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When Daniel Paille Has Given Up On The NHL Lockout, You Know It's Real Bad

I don't know how to break this awful news to you but Bruins forward Daniel Paille has left us for the natural beauty of Finland. After waiting out the NHL lockout for months in the Hub with his Boston teammates, he's headed to Ilves Tempere (of the SM-Liga) where he'll be the 12th Bruin overseas-by far the biggest total of any NHL team.

That fact gets even more depressing when you realize that Shawn Thornton, Milan Lucic and Brad Marchand are the only real Bruins left in town, working out and skating from time to time. Paille might be a fourth liner for Claude Julien but he was also Boston's NHLPA player representative that was deeply entrenched in the CBA negotiations. So yeah, it can't be a good sign that he had enough and finally bolted for Europe.

Like all the other Bruins in Europe, Paille has an out clause to return if and when the 2012-13 NHL season ever actually begins. Rich Peverley is in the same Finnish league while Philadelphia Flyer Max Talbot is on Ilves Tempere. The only sliver of good news that I can give you about the B's is that Tuukka Rask is returning to Boston after two very successful months in the Czech League.

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All I Know Is That The Red Sox Are Assembling The Best Beer League Softball Team In MLB

Twitter certainly takes away much of the intrigue and mystery of free agency in professional sports (RIP Hot Stove), perhaps none more so than in Major League Baseball. It seems like teams court guys for months or at least weeks before mercifully pulling the trigger on often minor deals. Today, the Red Sox and Mike Napoli have reportedly agreed to a three-year deal worth $39 million.

He will have a physical on Wednesday which is the delay before the club fully announces the move with the first baseman/catcher/designated hitter. Since he is so terrible on defense, no matter where he gets placed on the field, this move is all about what Napoli brings to the plate. He has never played more than 70 games at first base in a season (2010 with Angels) or 96 games at catcher (2009 with Angels). You know that David Ortiz won't make it through an entire season healthy so Napoli is certainly a capable replacement for Big Papi at DH.

Last season, he hit .227 with a .343 OBP and .469 SLG but the goobers in Texas voted him an American League All-Star for the first time in his career. He is known primarily as a power hitter and with Texas in 2012, he had 24 homers and 56 RBIs but he struck out 125 times with only 56 walks. It was a big drop-off from his career year with the Rangers in 2011: .320/.414 OBP/.631 SLG with 30 homers and 75 RBIs.

The most obvious question with this move is what will the Red Sox do with their three catchers: Jarrod Saltalamacchia, David Ross and Ryan Lavarnway? I suppose that Lavarnway can get more seasoning in Pawtucket (which he needs) and live with a Salty/Ross platoon. Maybe even an occasional Napoli game behind the plate. Not that I think Boston is close to making the playoffs as currently constituted but in Napoli, they get a guy that has been a clutch performer in October: in 32 games, he's hit five homers and 19 RBIs with .272/.373 OBP/.457 SLG.

I hate to sound like Carmine the computer and spout off useless numbers but in a very small sample size, Napoli has experienced success at Fenway Park: he is 19-for-62 with seven homers and four doubles in 74 plate appearances. I don't like projecting things too much since that's how Boston got so enamored with Carl Crawford, Adrian Gonzalez, John Lackey, etc but it looks like Napoli could succeed with the Red Sox. After five years in Anaheim and two years in Texas, he's hit 146 homers and 380 RBIS with .259/.356 OBP/.507 SLG.

He is 31 and will enter next spring in the eighth year of his MLB career, meaning that he's probably on the downslope of his career. Still, if he hits like he's capable of, he can provide some middle of the lineup pop. Like Johnny Gomes and Ross-Boston's only other moves so far this offseason, I will approve of this more if it leads to re-signing Cody Ross, getting Nick Swisher or Adam LaRoche. Oh and Boston still hasn't addressed its biggest hole at all: starting pitchers.

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Definition Of Yawn: Pats Win 10th AFC East Title In 12 Years With 23-16 Triumph In Miami

When your division is as putrid as the AFC East has been for the better part of a decade, it's tough to get too excited over trivial things like an AFC East title. New England (9-3, 5-2 away) beat Miami (5-7, 3-3 home) 23-16 this afternoon at Sun Life Stadium for the Patriots' sixth straight win. New England became the first team in the NFL to clinch a playoff spot in 2012 so there's that insignificant fact.

With the victory, the Patriots claimed their fourth straight AFC East title, the ninth in the in the last 10 years and 10th in the last 12 seasons. It is a crazy mark of consistency that shows no sign of stopping while the rest of the division continues to go in circles and pee down their legs. Did you know the Dolphins have used 17 different guys at quarterback since Dan Marino retired? I rest my case.

Yes New England usually struggles when they go down to the humidity of South Florida but this gave them five consecutive wins against Miami. For the most part, it was a pretty boring contest as the Patriots played one of their more sloppy games of the season yet still found a way to get it done.

Tom Brady (24 of 40, 238 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) wasn't himself but Wes Welker (12 catches, 103 yards, TD) and Aaron Hernandez (8 catches, 97 yards) picked up the slack for Rob Gronkowski (still out) and Brandon Lloyd (1 catch, 10 yards) who has been completely fazed out of the passing attack. New England offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels kept Stevan Ridley (19 carries, 71 yards, TD) out of the majority of the action until he inserted him in the fourth quarter to effectively wear down the Dolphins defense.

This was Ryan Tannehill's (13 of 29, 186 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs) first career game against the Patriots and while it wasn't a disaster by any means, he certainly looked like a guy that is still squarely in the project stage. Brian Hartline (5 catches, 84 yards) and Reggie Bush (15 carries, 64 yards) are Miami's two best offensive weapons, which should tell you exactly where their franchise is at this moment.

Chandler Jones' absence wasn't a huge deal since Trevor Scott (3 tackles, 2 sacks, tackle for loss) stepped up and Vince Wilfork (3 tackles, 2 solo, tackle for loss, fumble recovery) continued to play at a very high level.

Competing against an inferior team like the Dolphins means that the Patriots are comfortably able to survive an interception by Reshad Jones and another missed field goal by Stephen Gostkowski (from 49 yards in 1st quarter; his 3rd in 4 games at the time). The only things to worry about were some more injuries: right guard Dan Connolly left with a back injury and Julian Edelman departed with a foot injury. Neither guy returned to the field after that.

Miami was up to their usual tomfoolery after they were forced to punt on their first drive and punter Brandon Fields couldn't properly control a bad snap. He got tackled by a host of Patriots at the Dolphins' 12. Five plays later, Ridley had a 2-yard touchdown run. Dan Carpenter's 44-yard field goal with one second left in the first quarter got Miami on the board.

Welker cashed in on a 7-yard slip screen and Gostkowski atoned for his miss with a 43-yard field goal as the Patriots led 17-3 in the second quarter. Tannehill's 2-yard touchdown run with 25 seconds left in the first half gave the Dolphins fans something to cheer about.

I don't know which was more boring: the third quarter which featured a grand total of zero combined points or the fourth which had two field goals apiece for both teams? Gostkowski hit a 32-yard field goal, Carpenter hit a 33-yard field goal, Gostkowski added a chip shot 20-yard kick then Carpenter wrapped it up with a 42-yard field goal.

Miami tried an onside kick but Lloyd fell on it to clinch the win for the Patriots. After weeks of playing mostly terrible teams (except for the Colts), you won't hear me complaining the next two weeks. We've had these two games circled all season: they host the Texans (11-1) next Monday (8:30 p.m., ESPN) then the Niners the following Sunday night (8:20, NBC). Houston is currently the top team in the AFC while San Francisco is the second best team (record wise) in the NFC. Now if we could just coax some snow or at least wintry conditions out of the sky.

UPDATE 12/3: Multiple sources report that the Patriots have re-signed wide receiver Donte' Stallworth. He was cut in August after what seemed like a decent preseason. He hadn't caught on with any other NFL team so this move was probably made since A) Julian Edelman's foot injury is serious and B) Deion Branch's hamstring is still in bad shape so they can't use him at this point.

Also, the Pats lost another guy from the practice squad as the Eagles signed offensive tackle Matt Kopa. The Stanford product had spent the last two seasons on New England's practice squad.

UPDATE 12/4: Pro Football Talk says that New England gets a one-week roster exemption for rookie running back Brandon Bolden. He can return to practice now and they don't have to activate him until December 11. He has missed the past four games thanks to a PED suspension. They can activate him at any time but they would have to release another guy from the 53-man roster.

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Celtics Lose A Weird One To The Bucks In Milwaukee

I can't say I have ever seen (or at least can recall) an NBA team beginning a game with a 17-0 lead. Likewise, I don't remember said team blowing it and eventually losing that game. I guess contests like tonight are why I choose to watch an NBA game on December 1.

Boston (9-8, 4-4 away) jumped out to a 17-0 advantage in Milwaukee (8-7, 4-4 home) but the Bucks eventually wore them down and came away with a 91-88 victory at the Bradley Center. I'm not mad though since it was the second game of Rajon Rondo's two-game suspension and all things considered (my favorite NPR program, I'm old!) the Celts played pretty well.

Paul Pierce led Boston with 19 points and six assists, Jeff Green had 18 points (his second solid game in a row, a new personal record for the Celtics), Kevin Garnett put up 17 points and seven rebounds while Jason Terry (15 points, 11 assists, 3 steals) and Courtney Lee (13 points) flourished in the starting lineup.

Brandon Jennings' (13 points, 6 rebounds) 3-pointer with 24 seconds gave the Bucks a 90-88 lead. Terry had a chance to hit a go-ahead 3-pointer on the other end but missed. After Larry Sanders (18 points, 16 rebounds, 5 blocks) made one of two free throws, Pierce then Terry missed 3-pointers. What can you do?

I predict that Milwaukee finally sneaks into the playoffs in the spring, this was their second win in three tries against Boston so far this season. They'll meet once more in the regular season (December 21 at TD Garden). They have a fair amount of talent especially when Sanders plays like that, he had a triple-double in the game before with blocks. Monta Ellis scored 17, Ersan Ilyasova added 15 points off the bench and old friend Marquis Daniels had eight points and five assists.

After three games in four nights, with Rondo absent from the last two, the Celtics get a few days to rest their old bones (I'm looking at you KG and Pierce) before they host the Minnesota Timberwolves (7-8) on Wednesday (7:30 p.m., CSN). I'm not going to pretend like the rest of the Greenteamers that Rajon has suddenly grown up since he clearly hasn't. However, all I hope is this latest suspension has fired him up sufficiently and he plays at the highest level possible.

UPDATE 12/2: Kris Joseph was returned to the Red Claws.

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