The Indians on Monday opted not to extend a qualifying offer to free-agent first baseman Mike Napoli or any of their three free agents ahead of the 5 p.m. deadline.
Outfielders Rajai Davis and Coco Crisp also did not receive an offer.
Teams can extend their impending free agents a qualifying offer that represents a one-year contract and is valued by the average of the top 125 salaries in baseball from the previous season. This offseason, that number is $17.2 million.
If players accept the qualifying offer, then they will make that amount for one season and are retained by their former team. If they decline the offer and sign elsewhere, their new team forfeits their first-round pick — with the top 10 picks being protected in the first round — and their former team receives draft pick compensation.
Napoli had a terrific regular season for the Indians after signing a one-year, $7 million deal that turned out to be a bargain. He hit a career-high 34 home runs and led the club with 101 RBI while also garnering wide praise for his presence in the Indians clubhouse. He struggled in the postseason, hitting just .173 with one home run and three RBI through the Indians’ run to the World Series.
His defense during the season also wasn’t up to par with his previous performance at first base. He had -4 defensive runs saved, per FanGraphs, the first time since 2011 he had a negative value. His Ultimate Zone Rating also dove to -4.4 from 4.4 in 2015.
The Indians could have extended Napoli a qualifying offer and received compensation had another team signed him, but the possibility of him making $17.2 million for one year at age 35 might have been too big of a gamble. The qualifying-offer system each year has seemingly dragged down the value of a player or two who has trouble finding a new club while teams wish to keep their draft picks, bringing additional variables into the equation.
The Indians can still sign any of their free agents to new deals. They have already expressed interest in keeping Napoli and Davis in Cleveland and have had discussions with them.
“It’s important to recognize, and I’ve said it before, that we have a desire to have both guys back,” Indians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti said. “And I think they share that desire to return.”
Davis was on a one-year deal with a base salary of $5.25 million. At 35 years old — he turned 36 during the World Series — he led the American League in the regular season with 43 stolen bases.
Crisp didn’t reach the applicable number of plate appearances or games played in 2016 and had his $13 million vesting option turned into a club option for the 2017 season, which was declined by the Indians.
All three players can now sign with any team free of any draft-pick compensation.
Award finalists
Indians starting pitcher Corey Kluber, outfielder Tyler Naquin and manager Terry Francona were all named award finalists by the BBWAA Monday night.
Kluber, who won the 2014 American League Cy Young Award, is a finalist to win his second, along with Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander and Boston Red Sox pitcher Rick Porcello. Kluber this season went 18-9 with a 3.14 ERA and 227 strikeouts in 215 innings but missed his final start of the season with a mild quad strain.
Naquin earned a spot on the Indians’ Opening Day roster and went on to hit .296 with 14 home runs and 43 RBI en route to being named a finalist for the AL Rookie of the Year. Tigers pitcher Michael Fulmer and New York Yankees slugger Gary Sanchez are also finalists.
Francona is expected to win AL Manager of the Year after guiding the Indians to a 94-67 record essentially without Michael Brantley and, in September, mostly without Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar.
He’s joined by Texas manager Jeff Banister and Baltimore manager Buck Showalter.
Ryan Lewis can be reached at rlewis@thebeaconjournal.com. Read the Indians blog at www.ohio.com/indians. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/RyanLewisABJ and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/RyanLewisABJ