The Boston Red Sox entered the 2012 winter meetings with some money to spend, and they have done just that.
On Monday, Ben Cherington added a right-handed power bat to his lineup in Mike Napoli and followed that up by signing outfielder Shane Victorino on Tuesday. Both former All-Stars were signed to three-year deals and will bring a veteran presence to the Boston clubhouse.
Even before the winter meetings, Cherington and the Sox’ front office were hard at work overhauling the coaching staff for 2013. Looking for a fresh start after the short-lived Bobby Valentine era, Boston brought back former pitching coach John Farrell to manage the ball club, and added Juan Nieves, Torey Lovullo, Greg Colbrunn, Brian Butterfield and Victor Rodriguez to round out a new staff.
And while Napoli and Victorino may headline the offseason moves Boston has made so far, don’t forget Jonny Gomes signed a two-year deal. He adds another big bat to the lineup as a hitter who simply crushes left-handed pitching.
There is still plenty of time before pitchers and catchers report to Fort Myers for spring training, but Cherington has already made a commitment to building a roster that will compete in 2013.
Vote on which offseason move you think will pay off the most for Boston below.
