Hot Stove Digest: Rangers finally agree to terms with Mike Napoli
Welcome to The Stew’s Hot Stove Digest, our daily rundown of MLB news, rumors and gossip for Hot Stove season. Here you’ll find a quick recap of all the day’s action and other fun stuff from around the internet that we think is worth your time.
FINALLY: The Texas Rangers have reportedly agreed to a one-year deal with first baseman Mike Napoli. The move has been rumored for months, but it finally appears the wait is over. The 35-year-old Napoli hit .239/.335/.465, with 34 home runs, for the Cleveland Indians last season. It had been assumed Napoli would sign with the Rangers for weeks now, but the two sides put off finalizing a deal until now. That’s possibly because the Rangers wanted to wait and see how their 40-man roster looked before bringing Napoli in the fold. The deal is contingent on Napoli passing a physical. Once that happens, he’ll likely fill in at both first and DH for the reigning American League West champs. [MLB.com]
STILL TALKING: The Washington Nationals are still talking to the Chicago White Sox about closer David Robertson. The two sides have been in constant contact all offseason. Robertson has been rumored to a target of the Nationals for some time now, and was even mentioned in variations of the trade that sent Adam Eaton to the Nation’s Capital. Robertson, 31, posted a 3.47 ERA over 62 1/3 innings last season. Robertson will make $12 million in 2017, and is under contract at $13 million for 2018. [Fox Sports]
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DONE DEAL: The New York Yankees have agreed to a one-year, $3 million with slugging first baseman Chris Carter. Carter, 30, hit .222/.321/.499, with 41 home runs, over 644 plate appearances with the Milwaukee Brewers last year. He’s expected to receive at-bats at both first base and DH for the Yankees, though he may be used in a platoon role. [The Stew]
CHECKING IN: The Yankees have checked in on free-agent pitcher Travis Wood, though nothing seems imminent. Wood, 30, is one of the best pitchers left on the market. Last season, he posted a 2.95 ERA over 61 innings with the Chicago Cubs. While those numbers came with Wood pitching out of the bullpen, he also has experience as a starter. [@JonHeyman]
DONE DEAL: The Arizona Diamondbacks have agreed to a one-year deal with infielder Daniel Descalso. Descalso, 30, hit .264/.349/.424 over 289 plate appearances in 2016. He’ll make $1.5 million in 2017. [@DBacks]
SIGNED: The San Diego Padres have signed shortstop Erick Aybar to a minor-league deal. The 33-year-old hit .243/.303/.320 over 459 plate appearances last season. While it’s just a minor-league deal, Aybar is expected to compete for the full-time job at short. [@JeffPassan]
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BRING HIM IN: The Detroit Tigers have agreed to a minor-league deal with outfielder David Lough. The 31-year-old Lough spent most of 2016 in the minors. He managed to reach the majors with the Philadelphia Phillies briefly, hitting .239 in 79 plate appearances. [@jcrasnick]
MINOR MOVES: The Minnesota Twins have agreed to a minor-league deal with outfielder Drew Stubbs. The 32-year-old spent time with three different clubs in 2016, hitting .225 over 94 plate appearances. [@jcrasnick]
TRADING PLACES: The Tampa Bay Rays have traded pitcher Enny Romero to the Washington Nationals. Romero, 26, posted a 5.91 ERA over 45 2/3 innings last season. The Nationals are expected to send a low-level starting pitching prospect to the Rays in exchange for Romero. [@TBTimes_Rays]
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
