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The Houston Astros have been one of, if not the most, aggressive teams this offseason — claimed Nori Aoki, traded Pat Neshek, signed Charlie Morton and signed Josh Reddick. But Houston is quick to be back in the rumor mill.
The Astros are taking a look at veteran first baseman Mike Napoli, per Ken Rosenthal.
Among hitters in whom #Astros have shown interest, per sources: Mike Napoli. Team prefers LHH, but Nap could be 1B/DH and offer leadership.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 20, 2016
Napoli, 35, hit .239/.335/.465 with 34 home runs and 101 RBIs. He had a WRC+ of 113 and 5.2 offensive fWar. Napoli also wouldn’t be a drawback in the field, a serviceable first baseman.
The main drawback is Napoli’s age and basically be a league-average hitter. The Astros couldn’t be looking for a long-term contract with the 10-year veteran.
The possible move to Napoli’s speaks the fact that Jon Singleton, Tyler White, and A.J. Reed haven’t grabbed the first base job after the departure of Chris Carter. The Astros' first baseman posted a .680 OPS, the third-worst in baseball behind only the Yankees and Nationals.