LAS VEGAS -- Mike Napoli hacked at a chest-high fastball, and the result was a vintage swing from the veteran slugger. A pitch that most hitters would have no business reaching wound up rocketing off his bat and soaring over the 20-foot wall beyond the left-center-field gap at Cashman Field.
For that moment on Saturday, it was easy to forget about the offensive struggles that Napoli endured last season and the fact that he is hoping scouts in attendance this spring will send reports that potentially net a Major League job. Cleveland does not have a spot to offer on the big league roster, so the clock is ticking in terms of a decision about Napoli's immediate future.