Red Sox trade 1B Mike Napoli back to Rangers

Boston, Mass – Red Sox first baseman Mike Napoli has been traded to the Texas Rangers. Napoli heads back to Texas where he enjoyed some of the finest seasons of his career in 2011 and 2012, slashing.275/.379/.552 with 54 homers and 131 RBI in 221 games.

That will work out just fine for Texas, as Mitch Moreland is their primary first baseman, and his weakness is Napoli’s strength.

Napoli’s production slipped last season, when he dealt with toe, finger, back and knee injuries that limited him to 119 games. He signed a one-year contract with the club prior to 2013, hit.259/.360/.482 with 23 home runs in 139 games and helped lead the Red Sox to a World Series title.

After beginning his career with the Angels, Napoli spent two seasons with the Rangers where he became a huge fan favorite. The Sox sent Napoli and cash considerations to Texas for a player to be named or cash considerations. He’s not the Napoli of old, not at 33 years old and dealing with an increasingly pro-pitcher strike zone, but he can still put a ball in the seats. But in 14 games since, he’s posted a. 957 OPS with six doubles and three home runs, raising his overall average to.207.

A few minutes before first pitch, Mike Napoli was scratched from the Red Sox lineup. He was batting. 324 in his past 10 games.