Mike Napoli rejoins Cleveland Indians: "It's a unique situation for a unique person"
Updated 2:22 PM; Posted 2:16 PM
By Paul Hoynes, cleveland.com
phoynes@cleveland.com
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Mike Napoli is back with the Indians, but unless there is an injury he will not be opening the season with them.
Hey, but at least Jose Ramirez has his card-playing partner back for a while.
Napoli was scheduled to take a physical on Tuesday. If he passes, he'll join the Indians on a minor league deal, but make no mistake this is strictly a team doing a favor for a player who helped them reach the World Series in 2016.
Manager Terry Francona, before news of the deal surfaced, talked to Edwin Encarnacion and Yonder Alonso and told them Napoli was not coming to Goodyear, Ariz., to take their job. The Indians just felt Napoli deserved to get out of the player's association training camp for unsigned free agents in Bradenton, Fla., so teams could get a real look at what the 36-year-old first baseman-DH has left.
Francona called it a "unique situation for a unique person."
Mike Napoli reflects on his time in Cleveland
"It's a situation where a player that is universally respected in our organization, and in our opinion, shouldn't be in that camp in Bradenton, Fla.," Francona told reporters in Goodyear, Ariz. "He wanted a chance to be in a major league camp. There's a decent chance that we're going to get him ready to go to another team and help beat us.
"Saying that, we all felt he deserved it. He's such a pro, so special to us. Certainly, if there's an injury (he could help us). I'm just laying it out as honest as I can. It's a very unique situation, but he's a very unique person."
As a point reference, the Twins showed interest in Napoli over the winter. Could the Indians be helping their nearest rival in the AL Central by extending a helping hand to Napoli?
Francona, in his conversation with Napoli, explained the situation as plainly as he could.
"My biggest concern was, and I told him this, is that he comes in here and hits .500 and we don't have a spot for a kid we're crazy about and we have to tell him that," said Francona. "So we told him up front because I didn't want to damage a relationship that's important.
"So we walked through the whole thing. I think he's really excited. It's been a hard winter for him. We'll treat him like he deserves. Get him his playing time and see where it goes."
Napoli hit .239 (133-for-557) and set career highs with 34 homers and 101 RBI for the Indians in 2016. He also set career highs in games played, plate appearances and at-bats. A gassed Napoli faded in September and the postseason, but the Indians wouldn't have had the chance to reach Game 7 of the World Series without him.
Last year Napoli played for Texas, hitting .193 (82-for-425) with 29 homers and 66 RBI.
"We've said a lot about him and it's true," said Francona. "He had a big hand in our team transforming itself into a team that could win a World Series. Just because he left for another team never changed his impact or how we felt about him."
Mike Napoli, Terry Francona on monster homer
There was no clubhouse a clique that could resist Napoli. He played cards with Ramirez long before anyone thought he would by an All-Star third baseman. He played cribbage with Francona.
"There were no boundaries with Nap," said Francona. "He's fearless."
The Indians open the regular season on March 29 in Seattle. Between now and then Napoli will get a chance to prove if he can still play in the big leagues.
"We're thrilled to have him in here in camp," said Francona. "My guess is you'll see him with Bobby Bradley (first base prospect) and whoever he wants (to work with). Whatever time he spends here with us will be valuable for everybody. And if we end up helping him out, we've done a good thing.
"Because if there's anybody who deserves it, it's Nap."
