Pepin believes the offseason goal of general manager Ben Cherington is not to make the Red Sox instantly into a powerhouse, but instead to get them back to the 85-90 wins plateau. This would have them in the hunt for the playoffs next season.

He believes signing Swisher, Napoli and Madson would help the team return to its former winning ways. Swisher is the only one of the trio that figures to command a commitment approaching $100 million. The 31-year-old played well for the New York Yankees last season before struggling mightily in the playoffs, something he is becoming known for.

Napoli was incredible in 2011, but failed to match those numbers last season. He again dealt with health issues, registering only 352 at-bats for the Texas Rangers. He owns a career line of .259/.356/.507.

Madson missed the entire 2012 season following surgery, so he figures to come the cheapest among the three potential targets. He may want to use a one-year contract to rebuild his value, and the Red Sox certainly showed a need in their bullpen this year.