Texas Rangers officials did not meet with catcher Mike Napoli on Tuesday, said a club official, but they will today as the club attempts to address one of their primary needs this off-season.
Another source had told the Star-Telegram that the sides had met Tuesday without any financial terms being discussed, but that information was later contradicted.
Napoli, who is testing free agency for the first time in his career, and his agent, Brian Grieper, have already met with officials from Seattle and Boston. Napoli is seeking a four-year contract that the Rangers seem hesitant to give him after he dropped off significantly in 2012 from his career year in 2011.
The Rangers offered Napoli a three-year extension worth $38 million last off-season, but Napoli declined. The Rangers declined to offer him a one-year $13.3 million qualifying offer earlier this month after determining that was too high a price tag.
Their thinking, though, could change if they aren’t able to find a better deal with another free agent or find a trading partner.
-- Jeff Wilson
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