The Texas Rangers had three players knocking on the door of an arbitration hearing only a week ago. As of Saturday, all three are under contract.
Mike Napoli became the Rangers' final arbitration-eligible player to come to terms for 2012, agreeing Saturday to a one-year deal for $9.4 million.The club locked up Elvis Andrus and Nelson Cruz with multiyear deals Wednesday and Thursday. The last Rangers player to go to an arbitration hearing was Lee Stevens in 2000.A baseball source confirmed the deal for Napoli, who can become a free agent after the season. An official announcement is expected Sunday.Napoli had a breakthrough season in 2012, recording career highs in several statistical categories. Included were a .320 batting average with 30 homers and 75 RBIs, and he was one of baseball's best hitters after the All-Star break.He also impressed defensively at catcher, and by September had secured the majority of the playing time behind the plate.Jeff Wilson, 817-390-7760Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
