It Sounds Like Mike Napoli Is Headed Back To The Texas Rangers
The details are still sketchy at this time, but it sounds like Mike Napoli is headed back to the Texas Rangers on a one-year deal, which means that this will be his third stint with the organization.
Napoli first landed in Texas back in 2011 after he was dealt from the Toronto Blue Jays (people forget that), and was there for two seasons. He became a free agent after the 2012 season, and signed with the Boston Red Sox, who later dealt him back to the Rangers in the summer of 2015. After spending 2016 with the American League champion Cleveland Indians, where he hit a career high 34 homers and drove in a career best 101 RBI, Napoli returns to Texas for a third time. In his 256 games as a Ranger, Napoli has hit .277 with a .929 OPS, and has hit more homers at Globe Life Park in Arlington (34) than any other stadium in baseball besides Angel Stadium (59).
This was a no-brainer for Texas. I have no idea what took them so long to get this thing done. Napoli is still a serviceable first baseman, but there were plenty of teams in need of a designated hitter-type player this offseason. Once all those spots got taken up, the writing was on the wall that Napoli would be headed back to Texas. Carlos Beltran went to the Astros, Matt Holliday went to the Yankees, Kendrys Morales went to the Blue Jays, Edwin Encarnacion went to the Indians, and Mitch Moreland went to the Red Sox. The Rangers lost both Beltran and Moreland, so not only was Napoli out of suitors, but Texas needed someone who could play first base and DH. The biggest no-brainer in the history of no-brainers.
Napoli is beloved by Rangers fans in Texas, but nobody’s happier about this deal getting done more than the nightlife industry in Dallas.