Cleveland Indians: A Title May Mean Mike Napoli Leaves Town

Cleveland Indians first baseman Mike Napoli will become a free agent after this season and one particular scenario may cause him to leave Cleveland.

The Cleveland Indians made a steal of a deal when signing Mike Napoli to a one-year, $7 million contract this past offseason. He became the latest player signed in the search for a legitimate power hitter, especially from the right side of the plate, and he has not disappointed.

Napoli currently has career highs in home runs (33) and RBI (94) and is on his way to set new personal bests in hits, plate appearances and games played. The last two stats are important, as the 34-year-old has proven to be as durable as ever in his resurgent 2016 season.

His success has led to him becoming a fan favorite, with “Party At Napoli’s” being the slogan of the season, being spoken whenever Napoli destroys a baseball and gives Indians fans Jim Thome flashbacks.

Napoli is a major reason why the Indians are poised to win the team’s first AL Central title since 2007, and will be a focal point of the offense if the team does hold on and make it to the playoffs.

As much as one solely wants to focus on this year, this is Cleveland so questions about next year are already popping up. The main one is whether the Indians will re-sign Napoli.

Many factors will go into trying to get him back, but one particular outcome may seal Napoli’s fate and see him leave Cleveland, unless he wants to accept another modest salary. That outcome is the Indians winning the World Series.

As fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers know, winning a title is a magical experience. All the problems surrounding the team fade away and the emptiness that existed for so long vanishes with the fulfillment of being a champion.

The Indians have been on a quest to win another World Series titles since 1948, with more disappointment than happiness being the result of that ever-elusive goal. The different iterations of front office members have tried year after year to work toward building a competitive roster, with the moves of the last decade culminating in this year’s success.

Napoli became a rare find for the salary he received, helping the homegrown talent work toward the goal of bringing a championship back to Cleveland. His one-year deal was offered for the exact purpose of going for a title in 2016.

Actually winning the title would allow generations of Indians fans to bask in the glory of a championship, making next season a year-long celebration. It would also mean the price to re-sign Napoli would be too high after his career-year, capped off by being the face of a championship team.

But there would be no hard feelings if the team won and Napoli decided to leave. As Cavs fans know, it is hard to get upset about anything after the plateau is reached. The goal would have been accomplished, and with the understanding of how hard it is to win another World Series, paying Napoli over $10 million a year would not be worth it for a team like the Indians.

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At the age of 35, Napoli will get one last big contract regardless of how the Indians finish the season. Anything short of a World Series title may cause the Indians to try to retain Napoli, but winning the title will end the one-year reign of Napoli, who will go down as a legend in Indians lore.