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Q.  Does most of Napoli's value lie at catcher?

A.  Napoli is a whale of a DH.  Let's get that straight.

Napoli's career slash line is better than Jay Bruce's, and Napoli does it in the AL.  Mark Teixeira has a career OBP of .370 and SLG of .525 -- Napoli's is .355 and .510.  

Paul Konerko, who carries the White Sox, has a career OBP of .360 and SLG of .500.  With Napoli, you're talking about a Konerko who can't stay on the field.

Justin Upton has a career OBP of .355 and SLG of .475, in the NL, compared to Napoli's .355 and .510 in the AL.  

Nick Swisher:  .360 OBP, .470 SLG.  Nick Swisher is not as good a hitter as Mike Napoli is.  Let me read that sentence again.

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Q.  How about at 1B?

A.  SSI guesstimates that you want to minimize Napoli's games at 1B.  ... if Smoak's gone, I guess it's him or Montero, though.  This is a negative not to be minimized.

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Q.  How does the jobshare work?

A.  Let's start with the gleeful observation that John Jaso is a G-R-E-A-T platoon player:

Now let's take that slash line and compare it to some of the very best in the game:

And Jaso catches.  In other words, he's a GREAT platoon player.  No, wait, those aren't other words, are they...

So that's one great thing about a potential Russell Martin or Mike Napoli deal.  The concept of John Jaso playing only against RHP's.  Slap me silly.

You could say that 2012 was one year.  I would respond, "you should have paid attention during that year."  John Jaso can flat rake.  But the Mariners may have outgrown him, as far as "best player on the team" is concerned.

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Q.  How would the jobshare work?

A.  Let's start with Thirteen's very well thought out plan:

Let’s say Smoak starts the year in AAA, and Carp is still on the roster. Napoli has only ever broken 115 games once, so let’s pencil him in for four out of every five starts tops. Jaso should be starting every day vs. RHP, and I don’t think he’s going to get a shot against LHP, so three out of every four starts. Napoli usually catches in a 2:1 ratio with playing 1B/DH, but maybe we can get him down to 50/50 like he was two years ago. Presumably we still want to get Montero some catching time and also a little first base time. Actually, if we work Wells into it, it makes a little more sense, but the Mariners have to be willing to watch Carp in left field.

C: 40% Napoli, 40% Jaso, 20% Montero
DH: 35% Jaso, 55% Montero, 10% Napoli
1B: 30% Napoli, 55% Carp, 15% Montero
LF: 80% Wells, 20% Carp

Of course, if even one of Smoak and Zunino does well enough in the minors to warrant a promotion and the above guys are all playing well, someone’s gotta move.

I might quibble that there should be "other" in there ;- ) which will be 10%-20% ... the scrubeenies bring your team OPS+ down by five points.  But that's a quibble.  The basic chart is the money idea here, and 80% for Napoli allows some slack anyway.

Where I really agree is that if Napoli's here, Smoak's not.

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Q.  Would Jaso keep catching?

A.  I think the M's would rather he didn't.  My confidence on that "think" is verrrry high.  Suppose they were bringing in Martin instead?  The writing's on the wall.

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Q.  So what about Zunino?

A.  Jay-Z's famous for making 'em earn it... suppose you move Zunino down the line a year.  Still!

Jay-Z tells Napoli, "You're the number one for 2012.  I think you'll catch some, not a ton, if and when our kid takes over; you'll be the #2 for the life of your contract.  We do give you the fourth year."

So you know the selling point needs to be the contract, not the position.

BABVA,

Dr D