The Red Sox have made room for Mike Napoli on the 40-man roster by designating Chris Carpenter for assignment.
Carpenter, 27, was Boston's compensation (along with Aaron Kurcz) from the Cubs when Theo Epstein left to become the club's President of Baseball Operations. Since joining the Red Sox, he has pitched just 27 innings, with only six coming in the majors. Those six did not go terribly well, with Carpenter surrendering six runs on a remarkable seven hits and ten--count 'em ten walks.
Marc Normandin, as you may recall, predicted this about a week back, and it makes sense why he and the Red Sox would both land on Carpenter. He's 27, has yet to show any sort of ability to pitch at a major league level, was not long ago traded for a GM (which, in Bud Selig's league, is as good as a death sentence for value as anything), and has a decent chance to clear through waivers.
In the end, if he passes through waivers, the Sox lose nothing. If he doesn't, they don't lose much. Not exactly a glowing endorsement of the negotiations over Epstein, but hey, at least Aaron Kurcz was good last year.
Meanwhile, Alex Speier has the details of the Mike Napoli incentives. To make a long story short: the healthier he is, the wealthier he will be. It's all about plate appearances and staying off the disabled list, to nobody's surprise.