Texas Rangers acquire Mike Napoli from Red Sox

Rob Bradford of WEEI.com reports that the Texas Rangers have acquired Mike Napoli from the Boston Red Sox.

The trade serves as a homecoming for Napoli, who played for the Rangers from 2011-2012. The first baseman had a career year with Texas in 2011, hitting .320 with 30 home runs and 75 RBIs. While he’s yet to duplicate those numbers with Boston, Napoli has been more than serviceable, playing a key role in the club’s 2013 World Series run.

Hip issues and positional logjams have limited Napoli’s role with Boston recently. But he’ll look to turn on the jets and help Texas make a late push for a Wild Card spot. The Rangers are seeking their first playoff appearance since 2012.

If Texas is serious about their playoff aspirations, one would think that Napoli will either replace Chris Gimenez at catcher or slide into first base with Mitch Moreland moving to right field. Moreland would subsequently replace a struggling Shin-Soo Choo in the outfield, giving the Rangers a significantly deeper lineup.

Napoli is only signed through the 2015 season, making him strictly a rental for the Rangers. They could, however, be players to bring back the first baseman in the offseason. Coming off a rough season, Napoli could potentially come on the cheap and look for stability in an organization where he’s seen significant success in the past.