12-03-2012, 03:44 PM
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#1 (permalink)
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Ace of the Staff
Fave Player: Justin Verlander
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Detroit
Posts: 12,831
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Napoli, Red Sox agree to three-year contract
Quote:
The Red Sox have landed one of their top targets of this Hot Stove season, signing right-handed slugger Mike Napoli to a three-year, $39 million contract, MLB.com has confirmed.
The deal is pending a physical and could be announced before the end of the Winter Meetings on Thursday. WEEI.com was first to report the deal.
The Red Sox have not confirmed the deal.
Napoli is a powerful pull hitter who is a strong fit for Fenway Park, where he is a .307 hitter with nine homers, 20 RBIs and a 1.138 OPS in 75 at-bats, including postseason.
Though Napoli has been a catcher for most of his career, the Red Sox are likely to make first base his primary position. Napoli has started 118 games at first in his career.
Boston already has a logjam behind the plate with Jarrod Saltalamacchia, David Ross and Ryan Lavarnway.
First base, however, is a different story, as the Sox have been trying to find someone to fill that spot since Adrian Gonzalez was traded to the Dodgers in August.
The 31-year-old Napoli hit .227 with 24 homers and 56 RBIs for the Rangers in 2012, making his first All-Star team. The Red Sox think Napoli can get back to the level he was at in '11, his first year in Texas, when he hit .320 with 30 homers, 75 RBIs and a 1.046 OPS.
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Read more: Mike Napoli, Red Sox agree to three-year contract | MLB.com: News
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Napoli, Red Sox agree to three-year contract
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