Mike Napoli’s been around for the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. The first baseman would like to be around for the Boston Red Sox’s return to prominence rather than watch it from afar.
Napoli is set to become a free agent after this season, creating the possibility he’ll sign elsewhere over the offseason or, perhaps less likely, he’ll be traded at the Major League Baseball non-waiver trade deadline if the Red Sox don’t prove they’re contenders. It’s a situation the 33-year-old hasn’t considered much to this point, however, as the slugger has been preoccupied with helping Boston amid its 2015 struggles.
“I have to play out the year. It’s not going to happen right now,” Napoli told WEEI.com’s Rob Bradford this week of his contract situation. “I love this place. I’ve said it before. And, yes, I would like to play here the rest of my career. But you never know what’s going to happen. I’m going to do the things I need to do to try and help us win.
“I feel like when you go out there and play hard and do the right things, everything works out. I’m not putting any pressure on myself. Yeah, I’m a free agent and I want to do the best I can.”
Napoli entered Wednesday’s game against the Baltimore Orioles hitting .213 with nine homers, 24 RBIs and a .719 OPS in 54 games this season. He went on a tear toward the end of May after a very slow start, but he’s since fallen back down to earth. Napoli is hitting .240 with one homer over his last 15 games.
It’s no secret the strike zone is changing across MLB, seemingly to the pitcher’s advantage. Some players have been affected more than others, and Napoli, who has seen more pitches per plate appearance than any player in baseball over the last three years, acknowledged to Bradford it’s hurting his style of play.
Could that reality decrease the Red Sox’s interest in locking up Napoli beyond this season? Who knows? It’s worth debating given principal owner John Henry’s recent comments suggesting the Red Sox need to be more aggressive at the plate, but Napoli remains focused on the here and now.
“I swear, until you just said this to me, I hadn’t even thought about it for a while,” Napoli told Bradford of his impending free agency. “I just feel like everything is going to take care of itself. I feel like I have a lot of good years left. This is the best I’ve felt in a long time health-wise. My sleeping has gotten better. We’ll see. I feel like I could play a long time now.”
Napoli’s contract year has been unique. In many ways, he’s navigating uncharted waters, though it’s perfectly clear which uniform he’d like to wear for the foreseeable future.
Thumbnail photo via Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports Images
