The Red Sox may have closed in on making the first big splash of the winter meetings.
The Red Sox have reportedly agreed to terms with first baseman/catcher Mike Napoli on a three-year deal, according to The Boston Globe’s Nick Cafardo. According to CBS Sports, the deal is worth $39 million.
This all comes on the heels of a WEEI.com report that the Red Sox were “close” to signing Napoli.
The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham added this bit of information on Twitter as well.
#RedSox officials are talking about Mike Napoli like he’s part of the team.
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) December 3, 2012
Nothing official with Napoli yet. But it’s going down that road. This has been in the works for a while.
— Pete Abraham (@PeteAbe) December 3, 2012
And because the Rangers did not make Napoli a qualifying offer, the Red Sox will not lose a draft pick should they officially sign him.
Napoli was believed to be one of Boston’s top targets this offseason, as he would be expected to fill an obvious void at first base. He was a trendy choice to sign with Boston, especially given his dominance in hitting at Fenway Park during his career.
