Tito appreciative of Napoli's professionalism By Jordan Bastian MLB.com @MLBastian 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. View Full Game Coverage "We're 10 days from breaking camp, and he doesn't know what lies ahead for him," Indians manager Terry Francona said before Sunday's 11-4 win over the Cubs in Las Vegas. "This will be the first time in about 12 years. I think you're thinking, 'Am I done?' I don't know what's going to happen, but I do know that, to me, he's still Napoli. I've just tried to remind him of that a couple times." One of those reminders came during Saturday's 11-4 loss to the Cubs, following Napoli's impressive two-run blast off Carl Edwards Jr. in the seventh inning. In Francona's view, Napoli still offers more to a team than the slugger's 3-for-21 showing in Cactus League play can portray. The first baseman brings a wealth of experience -- including trips to three World Series -- and is both a leader and mentor behind the scenes. Francona would love nothing more than for another team to come calling with a big league job for the 36-year-old Napoli, though it is unclear at the moment if that is in the cards. The manager has had some private conversations with Napoli over the past few weeks about his future, and Francona said the team will be sitting down with him again this week to consider his options. "There's been nothing official in our conversations," Francona said of Napoli, who went 0-for-1 with two walks and a run scored on Sunday. "[We'll continue] to talk with him, just to get his opinion on things." If no MLB opportunity presents itself, one possibility for Napoli -- in camp with the Tribe on a Minor League contract -- would be to consider starting the season with Triple-A Columbus. That would give the Indians some veteran depth behind Yonder Alonso and Edwin Encarnacion, and it would give Napoli the chance to continue to audition for other clubs, while serving as an example for Cleveland's prospects to follow. Napoli, who is an XX(B) free agent -- a player who a) has six or more years of service; b) finished the prior season on a 40-man roster or on the 60-day DL; and c) signed a Minor League deal over the offseason -- would be eligible for a $100,000 retention bonus and a June 1 opt-out clause, if he accepted a trip to the Minors. Cleveland and Napoli have to make their decision on that front by Saturday. Francona called those aspects of Napoli's contract "technicalities." What Francona and the Indians want is to do right by Napoli, who has earned a strong reputation around the game and meant so much to the 2016 Cleveland club that reached the World Series. Two years ago, Napoli belted 34 home runs and collected 101 RBIs for the Indians team that won the first of two straight division crowns and captured the American League pennant. Last year, Napoli signed with the Rangers -- one of four teams he has suited up for over his dozen years in the big leagues -- and endured a tough year. The right-handed slugger did launch 29 home runs for Texas, but he hit .193 and posted an 82 OPS+ and .713 OPS. In an extremely down winter for many free agents, Napoli was without a job when Spring Training began. He reported to the camp for unsigned players in Bradenton, Fla., where media and scouts struggled to gain entrance to watch players' workouts. The Indians stepped in, signed Napoli on Feb. 28 and brought him to Arizona to be an example for the younger players, have a chance to be reunited with former teammates and to push for an MLB job. "I'm glad we brought him," Francona said. "He has handled it and then some. He has been so good for us. He's been so good for the guys and good for me and good for everybody. He's just a special guy, man. There's no getting around it." And, as Napoli gets more at-bats, he continues to have moments like he did on Saturday. "He looks more and more like Napoli," Francona said. "This will be interesting. I know he's got a lot going on and he's thinking a lot, but I told him, man, he can still play." Multi-inning work brings out best in McAllister By Jordan Bastian MLB.com @MLBastian LAS VEGAS -- Indians manager Terry Francona does not feel that one-inning outings in the spring are the best way to help Zach McAllister properly prepare for the season ahead. For the big right-hander, Francona has found that multi-inning appearances are beneficial on a few fronts. "Since I've been here, when he gets stretched out, he's a better pitcher," Francona said before Sunday's 11-4 win over the Cubs at Cashman Field. "When he comes in for one inning in Spring Training, he may have an eight-pitch inning where he doesn't necessarily have to execute pitches. He may execute pitches, but he may not and still get out of an inning -- let's say you get a first-pitch lineout. "When he goes out for three innings, he's got to pitch and it also builds up his stamina and it builds up his arm strength. It's really good for him." During Saturday's 11-4 loss to the Cubs, McAllister came out of Cleveland's bullpen and logged three innings, in which he allowed one run and had three strikeouts against no walks. That marked the fifth multi-inning effort of the spring for McAllister, who has a 1.35 ERA with 12 strikeouts, five walks and 10 hits allowed in 13 1/3 innings among his eight Cactus League appearances. With 10 days still remaining before Opening Day for the Indians, McAllister has already eclipsed his innings total from last spring (11 2/3 innings). "I just think he's situated to have a really good year," Francona said of McAllister, who had a 2.61 ERA with 66 strikeouts in 62 innings last season. "[One is] opportunity. But I think he's in great shape. His arm looks strong. He bounces back so well. He's so resilient. But I just think he's in a good place. "Sometimes, guys get to a certain maturity point. I just like the way he's executing pitches. When he doesn't execute a pitch, I like the way he bounces back the next pitch. I just think he's grown a lot, and I think it's good, because we're going to need it." Camp battles • Right-hander Carlos Torres, who is battling for the lone vacancy in the bullpen, turned in one shutout inning in Sunday's win over the Cubs in Las Vegas. Torres struck out two and walked one in the outing, which was a nice bounceback performance after he gave up five runs in his previous Cactus League appearance. • Third baseman Yandy Diaz -- trying to convince Cleveland to bring him north when camp breaks -- went 3-for-3 vs. the Cubs to improve his spring average to .412. Also in Las Vegas, Rajai Davis went 1-for-3 with a stolen base and Melvin Upton Jr. went 1-for-2 with one RBI in their respective bids to win an outfield job with the Tribe. Injury updates • Jose Ramirez (right ankle contusion) was out of the lineup for the Indians' 16-3 win over the Mariners in Peoria, Ariz., on Sunday, but Francona said the third baseman was doing better. Ramirez, who exited Saturday's game after being struck on the ankle by a throw from the catcher on a steal attempt of third, is slated to return to game action on Monday. • After being scratched from the lineup on Saturday due to right calf soreness, outfielder Lonnie Chisenhall was back in the lineup for Cleveland on Sunday in Arizona. He finished 0-for-3. • Michael Brantley (right ankle) played the outfield during his Minor League game action on Saturday. Worth noting • Catching prospect Eric Haase (No. 20 on MLB Pipeline's Top 30 Indians prospects list) belted a grand slam in Sunday's win over the Cubs. Haase started behind the plate on Saturday and Sunday and has impressed the team this spring. It proved to be a grand day for Indians catchers overall as Yan Gomes, who was held back from the trip to Las Vegas due to arm soreness, connected on a grand slam of his own vs. the Mariners. • While lefty Tyler Olson is expected to be used mostly against left-handed batters this season, Francona said he will look for opportunities for the reliever to face both left-handed and right-handed hitters, especially early in the season.