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Mike Napoli Officially Signs With Texas Rangers

Mike Napoli is officially a Texas Ranger again.

The team announced Thursday that the 35-year-old Napoli officially signed a one-year deal worth $6 million with an $11 million club option or a $2.5 million buyout in 2018.

Napoli was seen at the Rangers' spring training facility in Surprise, Arizona, Wednesday, when took a physical.

Napoli will likely be the team's first baseman and designated hitter in 2017, a role vacated when Mitch Moreland signed a free-agent deal with the Boston Red Sox and Prince Fielder was forced to retire due to a second neck surgery.

The Rangers also lost big hitters Carlos Beltran and Ian Desmond as free agents.

As a Texas Ranger, Napoli has hit .377/.381/.548 with 59 home runs in 256 games during three seasons. [[413956453,C]]

Napoli spent his first five major league seasons with the Los Angeles Angles of Anaheim before being traded to the Rangers via the Toronto Blue Jays before the 2011 season. He had a career year in 2011 before his production tapered off in 2012.

After the 2012 season, Napoli signed a three-year deal with the Boston Red Sox. Boston traaded him back to the Rangers just after the non-waiver trade deadline during the 2015 season.

Napoli signed a one-year contract with the Cleveland Indians in 2016. His career-high 34 home runs helped the team reach the World Series, eventually losing to the Chicago Cubs in seven games.

Texas already has room on its 40-man roster after putting first baseman Prince Fielder and reliever Jake Diekman on the 60-day disabled list this week.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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