Nov 2, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Indians first baseman Mike Napoli breaks his bat in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs in game seven of the 2016 World Series at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

Could Cleveland Indians 1B/DH Mike Napoli head back to the state of Texas?

Despite a bad postseason, Mike Napoli had an overall very good season. He sparked a Cleveland Indians team and was a key reason why the Tribe had the season they had.

However, now as a free agent, the Napoli/Indians partnership may end up only being one season. Napoli could still end up back in Cleveland, but one new team to now keep in mind in the Napoli sweepstakes is the Houston Astros.

On another note, fellow FoS Site Expert Nick Dudukovich recently discussed how the interest N.L. teams have in the veteran slugger is a good thing for him. In the piece, Dudukovich stated his opinion on the chances Cleveland retain Napoli, which I agree with:

Ultimately, I think it’s less likely Napoli returns to the Tribe. The front office is well aware poorly he played in September and October. The Tribe’s best chance to keep the Party at Napoli’s rolling was for the market to leave Napoli with few options.

Going forward, I would play Napoli more as a designated hitter. Regardless of where Napoli signs, the best bet for his career is playing for an American League team. That way, Napoli can keep doing his thing at the plate and occasionally play the field, like he did last season.

Cleveland should remain the favorite to sign Napoli. That is as long as he realistically remains in their budget. There is no need to stretch their payroll if the Indians can sign someone else to improve the team with a smaller price tag.

Going the cheap route is not what I am suggesting. Instead,countless options must be considered. Napoli will have numerous options. Should he leave then what? Unless the Indians find someone via trade, they will have to make some tough decisions to make.

The outfield is not the greatest. That said, could Cleveland instead move left fielder Michael Brantley into Napoli’s role? Meanwhile, the Indians could trade for an outfield bat while dealing with everything else that comes with the outfield situation.

Given that Cleveland, Houston, the multiple N.L. teams and others are expressing interest, signing soon is not that likely. However, there is no guarantee that the offers Napoli gets will meet his expectations.

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That said, no figures have been reported, but it won’t be long before they do. Regardless, I don’t see Napoli eventually making his way to Houston.