Mike Napoli will join the Cincinnati Reds “in some capacity,” WEEI’s Rob Bradford reported Saturday morning.
Napoli spent the past five seasons on the coaching staff of the Chicago Cubs, initially as a quality control coach under manager David Ross. He became the Cubs’ first base coach in 2022, and even stuck around in that position when Craig Counsell replaced Ross last fall.
However, Chicago fired Napoli in October, leaving him free to join any team in the MLB. The Reds, who lured former Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Guardians manager Terry Francona out of retirement, were apparently the team to pick up the 43-year-old.
Per source, Mike Napoli will be joining Terry Francona and the Reds in some capacity pic.twitter.com/cFMkMJYOwD
— Rob Bradford (@bradfo) November 23, 2024
Napoli spent 12 seasons in the major leagues before turning to coaching, starting with his five-year stint with the Los Angeles Angels. From there, the catcher spent two seasons with the Texas Rangers and rose to All-Star status.
The Red Sox brought in Napoli ahead of the 2013 season, which ended in them winning their third World Series championship in a decade. Francona had been Boston’s manager for its first two titles, but he had left the organization two years earlier.
Ross was also part of that team, splitting time behind the plate with Jarrod Saltalamacchia as Napoli moved to first base.
Napoli eventually found his way to Cleveland, where he played under Francona during the 2016 season. The Guardians went on to win the AL pennant and lose in the World Series to the Cubs, who had Ross as a backup catcher.
It remains to be seen what role Napoli will fill for the Reds, as the bulk of their coaching staff was announced earlier this month. Brad Mills was appointed to split bench coaching duties with Freddie Benavides – a holdover from David Bell’s days in Cincinnati – while Collin Cowgill was retained as the team’s first base coach.
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