The Red Sox remain interested in free-agent catcher Mike Napoli despite already signing David Ross, Rob Bradford of WEEI reported Monday.
Although the Red Sox might appear set at catcher with Ross and Jarrod Saltalamacchia under contract, the club can still find use for Napoli. Saltalamacchia might be traded this offseason, as CBSSports.com insider Jon Heyman suggested Saturday.
Additionally, Napoli has experience at first base and doesn't object to the designated hitter role, with the former potentially open for the Red Sox in 2013. Napoli would be a preferable opening day first baseman to Mauro Gomez, a 28-year-old with just 37 MLB games' experience and the current starting first baseman according to MLB.com's depth chart.
Napoli struggled somewhat in 2012, with his .227/.343/.469 line a distinct drop from his .320/.414/.631 career season in 2011. The combination of performance drop and potential durability concerns -- Napoli missed at least 49 games each of the past two seasons -- kept Texas from extending the qualifying offer to him. Still, Napoli's .875 OPS over the past three years (min. 1,000 PA) trails just Josh Hamilton among this year's free agents. With the Red Sox needing another impact bat to pair with David Ortiz, Napoli makes sense even with Ross in tow.
