The Cleveland Indians gave Mike Napoli a much more familiar uniform.
The Indians reunited with Napoli on Tuesday, agreeing on a minor league contract with the popular slugger whose powerful swing and clubhouse leadership were key to Cleveland reaching the 2016 World Series.
Napoli had been on the roster to play in Bradenton, Florida, with a group of free agents still looking for jobs. Tyler Clippard, wearing a black jersey with a white players' union logo, pitched two hitless innings in a 2-0 win over amateurs from the East Japan Railway Company.
"It's a situation where a player that is universally respected in our organization, he shouldn't be in that camp," Indians manager Terry Francona said.