The Red Sox kicked off their busy offseason by signing Mike Napoli — or so we thought.
More than a month has passed since reports surfaced that the Sox had agreed to a three-year deal with Napoli, but the veteran still hasn’t been formally introduced, and more recent reports have indicated that a hip issue is to blame.
The Red Sox reportedly want to alter the terms of the agreement that was in place because a hip issue was detected during Napoli’s physical with the club. Now, according to ESPN’s Jim Bowden, the Sox would like to shorten Napoli’s deal to one year in order to ensure he’ll be 100 percent healthy going forward.
This obviously leaves a deal somewhat in doubt, although all indications have been that the Red Sox are still working toward a contract that would land Napoli in Boston. In the meantime, however, it appears Ben Cherington and Co. are doing their homework regarding other options, just in case they eventually need to go with a Plan B.
It’s unclear what exactly that Plan B would be, or if the Sox have any desire to move on from Napoli, who reportedly hasn’t spoken with other clubs throughout this process, but Mike Morse, Casey Kotchman and Lyle Overbay are a few names that have been linked to Boston in the wake of this apparent contract issue with Napoli.
So who will play first base for the Red Sox in 2013? Will Napoli finally walk through that door, or is it time for the Sox to start focusing on other options?
