According to MLB.com on Tuesday Jan. 22, the Red Sox and Mike Napoli have officially reached an agreement on a one-year deal. The right-handed first baseman / catcher will join team after all, but not for the three-year commitment that was first reported months ago.
From Napoli’s Twitter Account: “Glad to be a member of the Boston Red Sox family”
Napoli, who has put up great slugging numbers at Fenway Park, agreed to terms on a one-year, $5 million deal with incentives. If he avoids spending time on the DL due to his hip injury and reaches other goals, he could be paid the $13 million that he was expected to get in the original deal.
The reason for the delay and restructuring was a degenerative condition in Napoli’s hip, according to CBSSports.com. The condition could have been caused by steroids or alcohol among other things. For more information on Avascular necrosis, click here.
In his seventh season Napoli was an All-Star for the first time in 2012. The 31-year-old has a .259 career average with an OPS of .863, and he averages 33 home runs and 85 RBI per season.
On paper he looks like a great addition to the middle of the Red Sox batting order and fills their need for a first baseman, but his health and possible past steroid use is a huge concern.
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Sources:
MLB.com
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