I'm a big fan of both the Napoli and the Victorino deals. Those are both short deals for moderate salaries. I don't really get the "I thought they weren't going to do big deals anymore" thing....these aren't big deals! They have to have somebody playing right field and first base, and nobody is going to do it for free. $13M per is a not a lot of money, and three years are not a lot of years, for these type of players.
On Victorino, I don't know where the idea that "he doesn't steal bases anymore" comes from. The 39 he had last year were a career high. He definitely had a down year at the plate, but still managed a 3.3 WAR. If the Sox get that or better over the next three years, $39M is good value for that.
On Napoli, the guy has worn out Fenway (albeit in a relatively short sample). He is coming off a career low WAR of 2.0, but they needed a first baseman and righty middle of the order bat with power and the upside is tremendous in that park.
I don't know how the Crawford/Beckett/Gonzo thing came into this, but if you want to make pretend like the Sox traded those three for Napoli and Victorino, here you go: Napoli and Victorino combined for a 5.3 WAR last year; those other three combined for a 6.3 WAR. Napoli and Voctorino will combine to make $26M next year, compared to over $60M for the other three. That looks like value to me. On top of that, you got rid of three guys who were net negatives in the clubhouse and replaced them with guys that are great clubhouse guys, by all accounts.
To me, the Napoli and Victorino signings are evidence that the Red Sox have learned a lesson precisely because they mark a clear departure from the approach that has dragged them down over the last few years (namely, that Larry Lucchino has finally decided to let the baseball ops people make the baseball decisions). I hated the Valentine hire and the some of the long term deals they've signed. I am very happy with the Farrell hire and the moves they've made this offseason so far.
