Mike Napoli Joins Reds' Organization in Unspecified Role

The Cincinnati Reds have brought Mike Napoli on board for an unspecified position within the organization, according to a report by WEEI’s Rob Bradford. Napoli, who previously spent five seasons with the Chicago Cubs as a quality assurance coach and then as a first base coach, was let go in October.

Napoli's connection with the Reds' new manager, Terry Francona, runs deep. Napoli played under Francona during the 2016 season with the Cleveland Indians, a team that came close to clinching the World Series title. As Cleveland's everyday first baseman/DH, Napoli hit .239/.335/.465 with 34 home runs in 645 plate appearances, significantly contributing to the club's American League pennant run. His peak years in the majors included this stellar performance, although his production dipped with the Rangers in 2017, and a subsequent return to Cleveland in 2018 did not result in any major league playing time.

​Currently, the specifics of Napoli’s role with the Reds remain unclear. The Reds have already announced their coaching staff for Francona’s inaugural season as manager, with new additions like co-bench coach Brad Mills and hitting coach Chris Valaika, both of whom have ties to Francona's Cleveland tenure. Since there haven’t been any sudden departures from the Cincinnati staff, it's possible that Napoli’s position might be a newly created one or perhaps a non-coaching role. According to Mark Sheldon of MLB.com, Napoli will be a staff assistant not officially part of the coaching staff.