The Texas Rangers have reached an agreement with the Boston Red Sox to acquire first baseman and catcher Mike Napoli to bolster their right-handed lineup, the club confirmed.
Texas will send a player to be named later or cash considerations to Boston in the deal.
Napoli played a key role for Texas in the Rangers' 2011 and 2012 seasons, batting a combined .275 with 54 home runs, before signing with the Boston Red Sox in 2013. The Red Sox won the World Series title that season. Napoli is batting .207 with 13 home runs this year.
Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said Napoli will primarily play first base and designated hitter against left-handed pitching. He'll be the "emergency" third catcher, a similar role to the one he had in Boston, Daniels said.
Daniels and the Red Sox front office had been in conversation over "a variety of topics" for some time, but the Napoli deal developed over a two-day span after Napoli cleared waivers, he said.
"This deal came together in the last 48 hours," Daniels said, "and it came to a head [Friday] afternoon."
Kyle Blanks, who has appeared in just 18 games for Texas this season while battling injury, was moved from the 15-day disabled list to the 60-day DL to make room for Napoli on the team's 40-man roster.
Napoli was pulled from the Red Sox lineup minutes before Boston's game Friday night, according to the Red Sox beat writer for the Boston Herald.
Daniels said the club was "working on" getting Napoli to Seattle for Saturday's game against southpaw Mike Montgomery.
Texas (54-53) was one game over .500 -- and two-and-a-half games back of the second AL Wild Card spot -- heading into a series with Seattle when the move was made. Boston was in last place in the stout AL East at 48-61.
The Rangers acquired help in both the present and future in left-handed starter Cole Hamels before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline. He's under contract through 2018. Napoli's contract, however, expires at the end of the 2015 season.
"This move is about 2015," Daniels said.
After Major League Baseball's July 31 deadline, a player must clear waivers before being dealt.
