Cleveland don’t make offers to Davis, Napoli

DESPITE t hei r roles i n l i f t i ng t he Cleveland Indians to the World Series, t he Major League Baseball club did not make qualif y ing offers on Monday to free agents Mike Napoli a nd Rajai Davis.

An of fer is worth $17.2 million for next season and can be given to free agents a club is interested in keeping, but just because the Indians did not present one to Napoli or Davis does not mean t hey have no i nterest i n t hem for 2017.

The move means that other clubs can begin making offers to first baseman Napoli, who set ca reer hig hs with 35 home runs and 101 runs batted i n la st sea son, a nd out f ielder Davis, who batted .249 with 12 homers and an American League-best 43 stolen bases.

If either player signs with another club, there would be no compensation for the Indians, who signed one-year deals with both players last year.

Napoli, 35, hit only 4-for-24 (.167) wit h 11 st r i keouts aga i nst t he Chicago Cubs in the World Series, which the Indians lost to the Cubs in seven games.

Cleveland extended its World Series title futility streak since winning its last crown in 1948, while the Cubs won t heir f irst championship since 1908.

Davis, 36, smashed an eighth-inning homer off ace Cubs reliever Aroldis Chapman to pull Cleveland level in the seventh game of the World Series, which the Indians eventually lost 8-7 in 10 innings.

Davis also stole three bases in the fifth game of the Series, only the fifth player in World Series history to manage the feat.