Report: Napoli to be released, re-signed by Indians

The Cleveland Indians are set to release veteran slugger Mike Napoli, but only so they can re-sign him to a minor-league deal as part of a paperwork move, according to MLB.com's Jordan Bastian.

Cleveland already has first basemen Yonder Alonso and Edwin Encarnacion on its big-league depth chart, but brought Napoli into spring camp to help him audition for other clubs.

The decision was made out of respect for the 36-year-old, who helped Cleveland during its run to the 2016 World Series. Napoli was originally taking part in the MLBPA-run camp for unsigned free agents.

The one-time All-Star is still discussing a possible trip to Triple-A with the Indians if no other MLB opportunities are available, Bastian added.

Napoli is a 12-year veteran who belted 29 home runs for the Texas Rangers last season, but only managed a .193 average and .285 on-base percentage.