Mike Napoli has now joined his third team in four days. The catcher was part of a trade from the Angels to the Blue Jays in exchange for Vernon Wells on Friday, and now, the Jays have turned around and dealt him to the Rangers for Frank Francisco. Jon Heyman tweets:
Mike Napoli Traded (Again) To Rangers; Blue Jays Get Frank Francisco
catcher mike napoli is going from #bluejays to #rangers for pitcher frank francisco. @ken_rosenthal mentioned possibility 1st
Napoli, age 29, hit .238 with 26 home runs in 2010. The first trade was a tremendously favorable one for the Blue Jays, as it afforded them the opportunity to dump Wells' giant contract. He figures to fit well with the Rangers, adding some pop from the bench to an already-formidable lineup. He'll serve as right-handed insurance at catcher, first base, and DH.
Francisco, 31, recorded 25 saves in 2009, but was largely relegated to middle relief for the Rangers in 2010. Like Napoli, Francisco joins an already-solid department, as he'll be added to a bullpen that already includes Jon Rauch, Jason Frasor, Octavio Dotel, and Casey Janssen. Francisco works off of a big fastball and hopes to put last year's lat strain behind him. He may now be the odds-on favorite to close.
Acquiring Napoli erases the Rangers as a possibility for free agent Vladimir Guerrero. For more on these teams, check out SB Nation's Rangers blog, Lone Star Ball, and our Blue Jays blog, Bluebird Banter.
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