The Indians will not make qualifying offers to any of the team’s pending free agents, including first baseman Mike Napoli, Paul Hoynes of the Plain Dealer tweets.
There was at least some reason to believe that Napoli could be considered for the $17.2MM offer, with the team hoping he’d decline so that it could recoup a draft pick if he signed elsewhere. Alternatively, the tag also might’ve helped set up a cheaper, two-year arrangement between the sides.
While those possibilities held some appeal, Cleveland was evidently not willing to pay that much to Napoli in the event he accepted. Given that he just turned 35, and would’ve faced disadvantages had he carried draft compensation with him onto the free agent market, that certainly wouldn’t have been a surprising outcome.
Napoli had a productive year and seemingly played a major role in the clubhouse. That the Indians not only won the AL Central, but very nearly won the World Series, surely helps the case for a return. But if that’s to happen now, it’ll occur after Napoli first gauges the interest of the league’s remaining clubs — and the Indians, too, consider alternatives.
Though Napoli did have a strong year at the plate, his market is relatively constrained since he’s limited to first base or DH duties at this stage of his career. He ended with a .239/.335/.465 slash and 34 home runs over 645 plate appearances, solidly above-average hitting that represented a bounceback from a disappointing 2015. But Napoli’s hefty strikeout tallies remain a concern, and defensive metrics soured on his typically well-reviewed glovework at first.
All told, it seems that Napoli will be in a much better spot on the market this year than he was last, although there are quite a few other lumbering slugger types. Still, he figures to command a multi-year guarantee at an annual rate that handily tops the $7MM base salary he was promised in 2016.
This is a surprise to me. I expected them to give him the QO to make it easier for them to negotiate a contract. Now I see it unlikely for him to return to Cleveland.
Why would a QO make it easier for them to negotiate a contract? I think Napoli would almost certainly have taken the QO and the Indians can not afford a 17-million-dollar player, let alone one who is (let’s face it) an average to below average first baseman.
Easier in a Howie Kendrick sense. Dodgers ended up getting him for 2/20MM (with deferrals and all that) because of his QO. I agree there is a good chance Napoli might’ve accepted though, which would’ve been a tough blow for the Indians.
Have a look at his stats at Progressive Field only, at Cleveland he is a star. Away from home is struggled mightily.
I’m not a big fan of looking at a player’s home-road splits. I mean, he’s got to play 81 games on the road regardless of his contract (duh), so paying him because he hits well in progressive field is just about as stupid as signing a bad pitcher only because he does well against your team
His base was 7 mil this year, with incentives he reached 10 mil. If you take this number and remind yourself that we paid Chris Johnson’s remaining contract, we actually paid 17 mil for a first basemen. This will be his last pay day and I would think he would take a 2/20 with incentives instead of a 1/17. No one is paying him 17 a year to play first base, nor give up a draft pick.
Please Angels, bring him back to play first. And trade or send garbage Cron where he belongs, in the minors.
Garbage Cron? That’s pretty rude. Why such hate from him?
For him
Cron had a 117 ops last year… How does he belong in the minors?
And Napoli only had a 104 OPS which further proves he’s not nearly as good as Angels fans still like to believe.
I’d take my chances with the much younger Cron
No way Napoli plays for Scioscia again.
In 3 seasons Cron has only hit 20 HR’s once. He has yet to get even 80 RBI’s in a single season. Below average defense. He is supposed to be a run producer. Teams were intentionally walking Pujols, to pitch to Cron. Other than getting seeing eye singles, name one thing is consitantly good at? Cron has had every opportunity to prove he is a good player. And has yet to prove it. The Angels were in the bottom of the league in home runs and that is Pujols and Trout in the line up.
Albert Pujols drew 6 intentional walks last season. Three of them were when Cron was batting after him. In one of those PAs Cron doubled, in another one he singled.
Cron 2016: 278/325/467
Pujols 2016: 268/323/457.
Cron isn’t the problem.
Ya you’re sending some blind hate crons way
He’s a 26yo kid who has never had 500pa and made great strides across the board this season. For a guy that only hit seeing eye singles, his SLG and OPS are pretty darn high, coming in a better clip than Pujos, Upton, Chris Davis, A-Gon, Schoop, Adam Jones, and Joe Mauer, all at a whopping 500K a year. You’re right though, they should cut bait with him. Cheap, controllable, young talent is pretty much all LAA has right now.
Cron will be looking at around 3 to 4 million this offseason. He is going into his first offseason for salary arbitration. I would rather see Marte be given the shot at being the every day first baseman. Trade Cron for anything. Cron reminds me too much of Conger. The Angels traded good players, because supposedly the young players were suppose to be better. The Angels need players that can drive the ball and hit home runs, Cron would make a better bench player than starter
CJ Cron is not arbitration eligible until 2018 and has shown more with his bat than Conger ever has.
My main takeaway from that list of players is just that the Orioles must just not have anyone who gets on base.
Come back to Texas
Good for both of them. Napoli probably wouldn’t be worth $17.2MM for one season to the Indians if he accepted, and Napoli will probably score more than that on a multi-year deal now that the QO won’t be hanging over his head.
It’s funny, I’m a Boston fan I would love to see him back on a two year deal, and it sounds like every other team he’s played for is thinking the same thing!
Their fans are anyway
Calling his market limited because he can only play two positions is….I don’t know what to call it…it’s one more position than a lot of guys can effectively play.
And whatever happened to Napoli in the outfield? Didn’t he have a successful little stint there with Texas?
Anyone can “play” DH. That’s not really a position. He can hit still, but he’s not exactly versatile
Playing OF at 35 for a guy who wouldn’t have been described as “rangey” even in his prime is a bit of an ask. Maybe in a pinch, but he’s hardly Zobrist-esque utility player. Still, to your point, he CAN play first. Maybe not as well as before but there are a few starting first basemen out there who don’t play first terribly well. Being able to hide him at DH obviously increases his value in the AL though.
Bad hip rules out OF which is why Santana played OF in the World Series despite having only ever played a few innings there years ago.
Yeah and you better hope he doesn’t hit like his two last years in Boston…
Seattle to replace to Dae Ho
Seattle…. Surprised I didn’t think of it until I saw that comment… Certainly they will be paying attention to his market.
Can Napoli still catch at all? I mean, could he be a third-stringer catching maybe a few innings a year, like in a 19-inning game, etc? Nobody has mentioned his name and the word “catcher” in ages.
No, see previous comment about bad hip and not being able to play OF.
I think Tribe’s strategy is to bring him back on a multi-year deal with an AAV of $12-15M. CLE simply doesn’t give a $17.2M contract to anyone no matter who they are which is unfortunate
Glad Cleveland walked away instead of being saddled with another Travis Hafner contract handcuffing them.
Wow Cleveland taking a all out a poached he sign else where but him and The Indians are better with what they could have neck 2 years
Teams like Cleveland on a smaller budget can’t afford to overpay for player especially getting caught up in all the hype of the World Series and paying a 35 year-old on one of his best seasons ever. Tribe luck says they pay and he totally breaks down.
Swisher, Bourne, Halfner, Sizemore?