JUPITER, Fla. — Adrian Gonzalez exists in a narrow strip between distinction and extinction these days.
A former star who now belongs to a genus disappearing from the landscape: the veteran slugger. Essentially, if you played last year at 35 or older, endured slippage or injury and were a free agent this offseason, you went the way of the T-Rex.
Carlos Beltran retired. Mike Napoli took a minor league deal with the Indians, whose manager, Terry Francona, said it was a courtesy to allow Napoli to be seen for scouts, not actually to make the team. Jose Bautista, Andre Ethier, Matt Holliday, Brandon Phillips and Jayson Werth are unemployed and might be having retirement foisted upon them.