Mike Napoli reached a tentative agreement with the Texas Rangers on Tuesday, and he reportedly got a raise.
The Dallas Morning News reported the Rangers and the first baseman agreed to a one-year contract, though writer Evan Grant tweeted that he doesn’t expect an official announcement until the next week. And ESPN’s Jim Bowden reported the deal is worth $8.5 million, which is $1.5 million more than he made last season, with a team option for 2018.
It’ll be Napoli’s third stint with the Rangers after a 2016 season that saw the 35-year-old post some pretty powerful numbers for the American League champion Cleveland Indians. Napoli turned in 34 home runs and 101 RBIs to go with a .239 average and .465 slugging percentage.
Napoli was an All-Star in 2012 and won a World Series with the Boston Red Sox in 2013. The Dallas Morning News expects the Rangers to announce the signing on Feb. 14, when they can put Napoli on the 40-man roster without putting another player on the waiver wire.
Thumbnail photo via Ken Blaze/USA TODAY Sports Images
