Fansided

MLB Offseason 2017: Top 50 free agents

By Joshua Sadlock

PHOENIX, AZ - SEPTEMBER 27: J.D. Martinez #28 of the Arizona Diamondbacks hits a solo home run in the ninth inning of the MLB game against the San Francisco Giants at Chase Field on September 27, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ - SEPTEMBER 27: J.D. Martinez #28 of the Arizona Diamondbacks hits a solo home run in the ninth inning of the MLB game against the San Francisco Giants at Chase Field on September 27, 2017 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
7 of 50
Next
OAKLAND, CA – AUGUST 27: Mike Napoli #5 of the Texas Rangers looks on from the on-deck circle against the Oakland Athletics in the top of the eighth inning at Oakland Alameda Coliseum on August 27, 2017 in Oakland, California. Napoli wore the nickname Porterhouse on the back of his jersey. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA – AUGUST 27: Mike Napoli #5 of the Texas Rangers looks on from the on-deck circle against the Oakland Athletics in the top of the eighth inning at Oakland Alameda Coliseum on August 27, 2017 in Oakland, California. Napoli wore the nickname Porterhouse on the back of his jersey. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) /

44. Mike Napoli

The Texas Rangers hold a team option on first baseman/DH Mike Napoli for 2018 at the price of $11 million. They can buy out the year for $2.5 million. Regardless of how beloved Napoli has become in his three stints with Texas, that’s an option the team will likely decline.

Decline is a fitting word for Napoli because he is definitely in that part of his career. The 36-year-old hit just .193/.285/.428 in 2017 with 29 home runs, 66 RBI and 163 strikeouts in 124 games. Napoli has hit below the Mendoza Line for over a year and a half, dating back to the second half of his 2016 season with the Cleveland Indians.

The average is slipping, but Napoli still has big power. His contact is becoming infrequent, but when he does hit the ball, it’s going to fly. The Rangers should look to move on from Napoli, though. Their lineup was exposed last season for having too many hitters that rack up the strikeouts.

Napoli will make a solid part-time DH and pinch-hitter for an American League team in 2018. He is a good clubhouse presence and has postseason experience in spades. Napoli has the potential to stretch out his career in the same way that Jim Thome and Jason Giambi did in their twilight years.

Home/MLB Free Agency