In Boston right now in the media there are 2 factions fighting. There is 1 saying that no free agent (Napoli, Swisher, Hamilton) this year deserves a 4 yr contract and the other wants the Red Sox to sign Hamilton.
And?
If the Sox FO are going to let media perception dictate the terms of how they acquire players then they're well and truly fucked already.
For the Red Sox they simply need to ask themselves if they expect Lester to bounce back and if they expect Buchholz to stay healthy next season. If both are yes then they need to spend money as they'll have a legit 1/2 at the top of the rotation and have a real shot to compete. If the answer to either one is no then it's time to think about how to build the farm and use 3-4 year FA deals to bridge while the young guys come along.
Its as simple as that. If they think those two guys bounce back you keep them and roll the dice on it. If not you aren't competing for the next two or three years regardless, as the pitching simply won't be there.
Now if they trade Lester for someone like Myers that decision is already made for them. Then they can go with a team of short term mercinaries for the near term and maybe get lucky while they wait for the wellspring of young talent to pay off for them. It is an interesting third option.
It shouldn't be. Trading Lester is a no-brainer. Lester has got off scot-free as one of the main problems on the team. He has developed into the world's biggest victim. Every time he doesn't get a call or he doesn't get a break, he completely loses his composure on the mound. He needs to be gone. If they could actually get a legitimate prospect for him (and I don't think KC would trade Myers for him), Cherington should jump at the opportunity.
And they now have Farrell back to help out with those issues. Also, look at Lester's home/road splits. He was damn near traditional Lester numbers on the road. The probability that he bounces back to previous Lester norms is pretty high if you ask me.
Going after Youkilis short term would be a better option than Napoli.
I can't imagine Lester being dealt for the sake of moving him. You're going to need to get back substantial and take on another veteran.
Youk's batting average never rebounded, even with the White Sox. He can't put bat on ball anymore and can't stay healthy. What good does he really serve? Jerry Sands or Mauro Gomez could likely match his production at 1B. Signing Napoli would be a play towards a real home run hitter while also giving them a 1B who can spell the catchers, letting them trade Salty at peak value and have Ross be the veteran mentor who helps bring Lavarnway along. If someone gets hurt or Lavarnway flames out they have Napoli to prevent Ross from being a full time starting C.
This is why I think they're interested in both Napoli and Swisher. When Napoli plays 1B they have Swisher in the OF, when Napoli plays C they can have Swisher play 1B. In two years when Ortiz hangs it up Napoli becomes the full time DH and Swisher becomes the full time 1B, extending both of their careers.
I'm not a huge fan because I hate paying FA prices for anything but the very top tier of corner position players. Its too easy to find slightly lower quality but significantly lower price alternatives. But Napoli and Swisher do both bring unique skill sets from a positioning standpoint.
