David Ross isn't about to turn the Red Sox away from Mike Napoli.

Lack of production a season ago? Injury issues? Positional question marks? All fair concerns when viewing Napoli as a potential fit. But the addition of another catcher isn't going to dissuade the Sox from testing the free-agent waters when it comes to the 31-year-old.

After all, the Red Sox still need a first baseman, and let's be honest, that's what Napoli would be, with or without the signing of another catcher over the weekend.

Here is what Texas general manager Jon Daniels said at the general managers' meetings when asked for a 2012 scouting report on Napoli: "He's got real power and the ability to hit the ball out of any park. He had leg issues and he tried to fight through them. He's a good teammate. I think clubs view it differently, but he has the ability to play first and the willingness to DH. He's a good player."

Then there was this from one other major league decision-maker when asked about Napoli's ability to pay first base: "He's OK." So, there you go. In this case, "OK" might be just good enough.

And while there have been some reports that Napoli wants to prioritize finding a team that views him as a catcher first, one major league official suggested that he hasn't presented positional concerns as a deal-breaker. With that in mind, the player still seems like a good fit for the Red Sox.

Yes, there are questions.

Why didn't the Rangers offer Napoli the one-year, $13.3 million qualifying offer? Sure, he hit just .227 with an .812 OPS, but he did fend off leg injuries in September to hit seven home runs with a 1.051 OPS for the month. Perhaps there are some lingering concerns about the leg issues, or maybe the thought was there just wasn't a positional fit.

The lack of an offer did, however, raise eyebrows considering Texas seems to be on the lookout for middle-of-the-order bats, especially with the potential departure of free agent outfielder Josh Hamilton. (Hence, the interest in David Ortiz if he hadn't signed with the Red Sox.)

There will also be the Red Sox' willingness to accept Napoli's deficiencies as a first baseman. He has experience at the position. In 2010 the right-handed hitter played first (70 games) more than catcher (66) while still with the Angels. Is he going to approach the skills of the free agent market's top free agent prize, Adam LaRoche, when it comes to the glove? Not a chance. But Napoli also likely isn't going to be looking for the contractual commitment LaRoche will be seeking.

In the end, it might be that any risks (injury, down year, positional problems) won't outweigh the rewards for the Red Sox.

A year before struggling through 2012 (which did see him hit 24 home runs, and in which he surprisingly had better road numbers -- .243/.348/.491/.839, 13 homers -- than home numbers in the hitter-friendly Rangers ballpark -- .212/.338/.447/.785, 11 homers), Napoli managed 30 home runs in just 113 games, finishing with a 1.046 OPS. Oh, and another important aspect of the slugger's game to consider: plate discipline. He saw 4.41 pitches per plate appearance last season, and averages 4.27 for his career. That mark is just a tick below Kevin Youkilis' career average of 4.30.

His success against the Red Sox has also been well chronicled. Napoli has compiled the second-best OPS (1.075)  of any opposing player with a minimum of 125 at-bats against the Sox … ever -- second only to Babe Ruth. But while that might not be a drawing card, his 1.107 OPS at Fenway Park should be.

There will be other options to fill the first base void. The Red Sox could dive all-in with LaRoche or Nick Swisher. But even after hitting 33 home runs with an .853 OPS, the 33-year-old LaRoche can't be viewed as the much-needed middle-of-the-order presence/pitch-count machine that Napoli could offer. Neither can Swisher.

Both are good players who would offer upgrades (over Napoli) defensively and valued bats. But neither matches Napoli's combination of power and plate discipline, and both are coming off of seasons that suggest that it would be harder to sign them within the disciplined framework that the Sox have discussed so frequently since their blockbuster trade with the Dodgers. (One major league source familiar with the team's plans, for instance, suggested that the Sox would feel some discomfort about a deal of three or more years with LaRoche.) 

The Red Sox will present various backup plans, such as the platoon option discussed by general manager Ben Cherington at the GM meetings. "I think [Mauro] Gomez and [Jerry] Sands have both played at first and showed they have chance to be good big league hitters certainly from the right side, so those are internal options, if we went to a platoon," Cherington said. "It’s a possibility. We’ll see where we are a few weeks from now."

He then added, "The more platoons you put together, you’re limiting your flexibility in a certain way because you’re counting on a platoon at different spots, going to have two of these guys and only have 25 on a team. But platoons can work, definitely, and they have worked in some cases and we’ll consider that for sure."

Still, such avenues don't offer what Napoli can.

Finding a right-handed complement for David Ortiz in the middle of the batting order -- one who can work counts while supplying ample punch and not put pressure on Will Middlebrooks to clear the fences constantly -- should be a priority. Glove aside, there are simply not a lot of available, semi-affordable players in baseball who can provide what Napoli does. This is a player who since 2008 has a better OPS than Alex Rodriguez, while hitting just nine fewer home runs in 67 fewer games.

Napoli has always seemed like a logical fit for the Red Sox, and (pending the determination that he is physically fit) that hasn't changed.

Alex Speier contributed to this report.