Napoli to Red Sox, Loney to Rays, A-Rod out

NASHVILLE, Tennessee: The Boston Red Sox began to play catch-up by getting All-Star catcher Mike Napoli, Tampa Bay took a chance on James Loney and the New York Yankees prepared for more time minus Alex Rodriguez in Major League Baseball moves on Monday.
Also, the World Series champion San Francisco Giants kept center fielder Angel Pagan, while the Texas Rangers brought back catcher Geovany Soto and made a deal for injured closer Joakim Soria.
Top free agent Josh Hamilton remained in play after hitting 43 home runs with 128 RBIs for the Rangers last season.
Coming off a last-place finish, Boston tried to resolve its catching situation. Napoli got a $39 million, three-year contract, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press.
“Awesome addition to our team!” Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester tweeted.
The Red Sox are aiming at another prize, too, exploring trade possibilities to pry Cy Young Award winner R.A. Dickey from the New York Mets. Boston general manager Ben Cherington didn’t mention the knuckleballer by name, simply saying the price for pitching was “always steep for the better guys.”
Also in play, maybe: Miami Marlins pitcher Ricky Nolasco.
Nolasco, who went 12-13 with a 4.48 ERA this year and is signed for $11.5 million next season, asked the payroll-slashing Marlins to deal him in the wake of trades that jettisoned Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, Heath Bell and Josh Johnson.
“I just think that he’s just looking for a better situation than he feels what is presented to him in Miami,” agent Matt Sosnick said. “We defer to the fact that we have no control and he’s under contract for another year. The team certainly can do as they please. We felt it was important to make his feelings known.”
The Yankees know Rodriguez won’t be in the lineup on opening day. The 37-year-old third baseman, looking nothing like the slugger who ranks fifth on the career list with 647 homers, will have surgery on his left hip and could be out until the All-Star break.
“It’s a significant blow,” Yankees GM Brian Cashman said. “But we’ve dealt with significant blows and, hopefully, we’ll be able to deal with this one, as well.”
Rodriguez is a 14-time All-Star and MLB’s highest-paid player at $275 million. This will be his sixth stint on the disabled list in six seasons, including a trip in 2009 after surgery on his right hip.
Loney found a new home in Tampa Bay. The first baseman hit a combined .249 with six homers and 41 RBIs for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston.
Soria reached a two-year agreement with Texas after missing the entire season for Kansas City because of his second elbow surgery. The Royals declined their option on the two-time All-Star for next year.