With Mike Napoli having agreed to a three-year deal, what's next for the Boston Red Sox?
As ESPN.com's Jayson Stark tweets, the Napoli signing takes Boston out of the running for Adam LaRoche, as Napoli is expected to handle primarily first base. However, the Sox still need an outfielder, and Stark mentions that Shane Victorino, Cody Ross and Nick Swisher are on the club's radar.
Napoli actually gives Boston a little bit more flexibility, since he can play catcher as well as first, so it might be an intriguing idea for the Sox to go after Swisher, a switch-hitter who plays outfield as well as first base, or Victorino, who also hits from both sides, and create a mix-and-match lineup that involves exploiting platoon advantages between catcher, first base and outfield.
New manager John Farrell has shown a knack for picking up on strategies like this -- he became one of the biggest proponents of employing defensive shifts while managing the Toronto Blue Jays -- so one would think he could put such a scenario to good use.