Mike Napoli and the Rangers talked contract extension earlier in the offseason, but settled for a one-year deal to avoid salary arbitration for the time being. The two sides had mutual interest at the time, but Napoli tells Drew Davison of the Star-Telegram talks of a deal have been squashed and he will test free agency.
"I'd love to be here, but I'll test the market," Napoli said. "Every player plays to get to free agency. But it's not something I'm going to worry about. That's why I have my agent."
Napoli, 30, broke out last year and hit a monstrous .320/.414/.631 with 30 home runs in 432 plate appearances with the Rangers last season.
We've already seen Yadier Molina's five-year, $75 million contract extension from the Cardinals have a direct impact on the Diamondbacks and Miguel Montero's contract negotiations. And now we're saying it's impact on the Texas Rangers and catcher Mike Napoli.