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Red Sox Sign Mike Napoli To 3-Year Deal

BOSTON (CBS) -  The Red Sox have made their first big splash off the off-season.

Boston and free agent catcher/first baseman Mike Napoli have agreed on a three-year, $39-million deal, WBZ-TV's Dan Roche has confirmed.

The deal is currently pending a physical, which Napoli will have later in the week at Fenway Park.

Napoli, who turned 31 in October, is coming off a 2012 season with the Texas Rangers where he hit .227 with 24 home runs and 56 RBIs over 108 games. A career .259 hitter, Napoli made $9.4 million in 2012 with Texas.

The most appealing of Napoli's numbers have come at Fenway Park though, where he's hit .306 with eight home runs and 22 RBIs in 19 career games.

Napoli and his agent had originally been asking for a four-year deal, but Boston did not want to go above the three years they offered in late November. At an average of $13-million per year, the Red Sox appear to have overpaid a bit in order to go lesser years with Napoli -- who made $9.4 million with Texas in 2012.

Napoli will likely see most of his time at first base, as Boston currently has Jarrod Saltalmacchia, Ryan Lavarnway and David Ross to handle duties behind the plate. With the signing, Boston could trade either Saltalamacchia or Lavarnway.

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