Mike Napoli is set to go to Boston on a three-year deal worth $39 million. Or is he? The two sides were supposed to get together for a press conference, that never happened.
ESPN reported that Napoli was to undergo a physical Dec. 5. Ken Rosenthal reports that the physical was taken more recently. Neither Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington nor Napoli’s agent, Brian Grieper, have provided any information as to why the press conference did not take place.
Shane Victorino, who also signed for three-years and $39 million, is scheduled to have a physical on Wednesday with a press conference to follow on Thursday.
Napoli has not been the most reliable player in his career. He missed a month last season dealing with a strained left quadriceps and missed nearly a month in 2011 with a strained left oblique. During the World Series in 2011 he sprained his ankle but was able to play in Game 7 the following night.
Last season Napoli finished with a .227/.343/.469 line while hitting 24 home runs. Napoli has only appeared in 114 or more games once in his seven-year career.