The Blue Jays announced that they exercised their 2012 option for Edwin Encarnacion and declined their option for Jon Rauch. Encarnacion obtains a $3.5MM salary instead of a $500K buyout and Rauch obtains a $250K buyout instead of a $3.75MM salary.
Encarnacion, 28, posted a .272/.334/.453 line and hit 17 home runs in 2011. I explained at the beginning of September that the Blue Jays were likely to pick up his option because of his strong final four months.
Rauch, 33, posted a 4.85 ERA with 6.2 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 52 innings for Toronto in 2011, finishing the season on the 15-day disabled list with a right knee cartilage tear. Although he is a Type B free agent, an offer of arbitration from the Blue Jays seems unlikely.
This is almost as crazy as the Vernon Wells trade.
Almost, except without all the craziness.
really dont understand AA’s love for EE
What? He’s fairly cheap and was productive last year.
It would have surprised if the option didn’t get picked up.
the 115 wRC+
Veteran presence in the clubhouse adds to his value. His stats aren’t All Star caliber but the option is certainly not a dumb decision.
I think EE will be used in a trade.
at worst he can be a backup corner infielder I suppose
Never make the playoffs with guys like E5 on the roster.
why?
Because gs01 says so.
Cause he’s an average player, and that doesn’t pass in this division. It’s the same every year with injuries and terrible starts to the season. He turns it up at the end of the season so he can get a contract. And his D is beyond terrible.
you mean you can’t have a single average player on the team to make the playoffs? that’s certainly news to the Rays.
There definetely wasn’t any average players on the cardinals..
Sincerely,
Ryan Theriot
Skip Schumaker
lol i absolutely love this bonehead theory..
No team has premium high ceiling talent at every position, even the yankees have some average players on their roster, cardinals have a lot of them , so did the giants last year.
EE is first and for most a cheap option that even if the team were to improve at any of the position he would play, namely DH, he is still an affordable bench piece. There is nothing wrong with picking up his option, and I didn’t even mention that before Lawrie came up he was our 2nd best bat for half of the year.
He probably doesn’t understand what “average” even means.
Ya, like I mean EE running out of time to follow through on potential.. He’s not going to be a cornerstone of the team.. but for 3.5 million, with what he showed last year, I don’t see why you wouldn’t for that price..
If his option was for 10 million, it would prob be a different situation
If St. Louis can win the World Series with Corey Patterson on its roster, I’m pretty sure Toronto can make the playoffs with Edwin Encarnacion on its roster.
Corey Patterson did virtually nothing to help the cards. Complete waste of a roster spot. He pinch hit maybe a few times. A non-factor either way.
“Never make the playoffs with guys like E5 on the roster”
That is such a useless comment for so many reasons.
“Never make the playoffs with guys like E5 on the roster.”
Do you honestly believe that the Phillies, Brewers, DBacks, Cards, Yankees, Rays, Tigers, or Rangers had NO players who put up numbers like E5 on their roster?
.272 .334 .453 with 17 home runs?
I’m not a huge Edwin fan, but absolute statements like that with no basis are so silly.
If it’s so easy why haven’t they made the playoffs in almost 20 years? The Jays fill the rosters with average players every year that’s why they haven’t played a meaningful game since 1993, if your happy with that and enjoy losing so be it.
Because it’s the AL East…you can’t get by with an entire roster filled with average guys. The Jays have put together a great offensive team the past couple of years. This squashes any David Ortiz to TOR rumor pretty much. Now they can focus on getting a front of the rotation starter and improving their bullpen.
As for 2nd Base, it seems like Kelly Johnson will most likely accept arbitration.
The Jays still had the 4th best offence in the whole league even with Rasmus, Hill/Johnson, Rivera struggling, and having 3 rookies (Arencibia, Lawrie, Thames), two people playing new positions for most of the season (Lind, and Lawrie) that they never played before in their careers. The offence was not a problem and it has never been a problem, every team has average to below average players (Yankees-Posada & Swisher- whos making 10 million for putting up a bit more offence than EE at 7 million more, RedSox- Youkills-who puts up around the same numbers as EE at 4times the price, Rays-Well most of that offence (not trying to affend the Rays they are a great team)).
This has zero Drama
well, since EE wasnt type B, there was no reason not to excercise that option
Time to do away with Lind and acquire Ortiz, with Cooper as the backup 1b
I don’t want to see Ortiz at first base. yikes.
double yikes.
if he plays 1b, that means the jays are in the WS next year. so…i could live with that.
Encarnacion at first, Ortiz at DH
As for Rauch, AA will still offer him arbitration in hopes that he declines. If he excepts, 4 Mil for Rauch isnt bad, he might be due for a good year
there is a rumor that they have a handshake agreement that he will decline
Source? Why would he agree to that?
What? 4M is awful for Rauch. Dude was flat out garbage.
more like raunch. amirite?
He wouldn’t get a raise in arb., and his contract would be non-guaranteed, meaning they could cut him in ST and only pay a fraction of his salary.
Why would you hope he declines? You can do a lot worse than having EE as a bench player.
He is a starter thank ya very much
I don’t see why they wouldn’t offer Rauch arbitration, it’s not like him being Type B will hurt his FA value. If he accepts, great. Trade him at the deadline.
edit
except that if he accepts great part.. its not great to have rauch..
and trading him at the deadline for what exactly?
He’s be on a non-guaranteed contract if he accepted. I bet he’d rather the stability of a guaranteed contract.
Yes, the Jays have soooo many alternatives
EE didnt look bad at first at all. In a choice between Ortiz or Lind at DH, Ortiz wins every time. Cooper comes in as a back up for Encarnacion and an occasional DH
If by chance Kelly Johnson brings in a 1st round pick, jays would have replaced the pick the lost by Signing Ortiz.
At the end of the day, the guy hitting behind Bautista has to have respect. Pitchers dont respect Lind, and unless that spot is looked after Bautista’s significance in the lineup will suffer
No team with an unprotected pick would sign KJ
There is also the possibility that Rauch hates Toronto. Maybe he doesnt want to be here anyways. I have to believe that Rauch, though he may not be worth 3.5 mil a year, is still attractive enough to get a 2.5-3 mil a year deal elsewhere
do we still have mark teahen for next year ?
Yea but even if the Jays get a 2nd rounder and a sandwich pick that is worth the first round pick in theory, because with their draft spending they can get first rounders outside the first round
not if the cap/slot system is already in effect
If there is a slot system next draft, then everyone will go in order and a 2nd round pick will mean 2nd round talent
True, I should have said barring any changes to the CBA, but at this point it seems unlikely that the 2012 draft gets changed
True, I should have said barring any changes to the CBA, but at this point it seems unlikely that the 2012 draft gets changed
True, I should have said barring any changes to the CBA, but at this point it seems unlikely that the 2012 draft gets changed
my god, I can’t understand why they declined their option for Rauch