Report: Rangers, Napoli agree to 1-year, $8.5M deal
It appears Mike Napoli is heading back to the Texas Rangers for the third time in his career after agreeing to a one-year deal on Tuesday, reports MLB.com's T.R. Sullivan.
Napoli's deal with the Rangers is reportedly worth $8.5 million, and will include a team option in 2018, a source told ESPN's Jim Bowden.
The Rangers have yet to announce the deal, which is pending a physical.
A source involved in the Napoli negotiations told Joel Sherman of the New York Post that the Rangers decided to make an offer because they recognized their window to win is now; Yu Darvish and Jonathan Lucroy are free agents after 2017, and age is becoming a factor for Adrian Beltre and Cole Hamels.
Napoli was one of the top remaining free-agent hitters available on the open market after launching a career-high 34 home runs and driving in 101 RBIs in 2016.
The 35-year-old had reportedly drawn interest from numerous clubs, including the Tampa Bay Rays, Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, and Cleveland Indians, but apparently had a strong desire to reunite with the Rangers. Napoli owns a combined .277/.381/.548 slash line across three seasons with the franchise, along with 59 home runs and 141 RBIs.
Napoli will likely take over starting first base duties for the Rangers, who lost Mitch Moreland to the Boston Red Sox in free agency.
Over the course of his 11-year career, Napoli, a one-time All-Star, owns a .252/.352/.480 hitting line with 238 home runs and 678 RBIs.