November 25: Per Mark Sheldon of MLB.com (Bluesky hyperlink), Napoli will probably be a employees assistant who just isn’t formally on the teaching employees.
November 23: The Reds have employed Mike Napoli for an unspecified function throughout the group, WEEI’s Rob Bradford reviews (Bluesky hyperlink). Napoli spent the earlier 5 seasons on the Cubs’ employees as a top quality assurance coach after which as first base coach earlier than being let go in October.
New Reds supervisor Terry Francona is kind of aware of Napoli, as Napoli performed underneath Francona on the 2016 Indians staff that fell simply in need of successful the World Collection. Napoli hit .239/.335/.465 with 34 homers in 645 plate appearances as Cleveland’s on a regular basis first baseman/DH, bringing loads of pop to the membership’s run to the American League pennant. That ended up being the second-last season of Napoli’s 12-year profession within the majors, as his manufacturing fell off with the Rangers in 2017, and a return to Cleveland in 2018 didn’t end in any time on the massive league degree.
It isn’t but recognized what Napoli’s duties will entail with the Reds, because the staff has already introduced its teaching employees for Francona’s first season because the membership’s skipper. Co-bench coach Brad Mills and hitting coach Chris Valaika are new hires who even have previous Cleveland ties to Francona, although the vast majority of the teaching employees are holdovers from former supervisor David Bell’s employees. Since there hasn’t but been phrase of any sudden departures from the Cincinnati employees, a brand new place could possibly be created for Napoli to affix the combo, or is it doable Napoli is taking over a non-coaching job.