Blue Jays slugger Edwin Encarnacion reiterates that remains open to an extension, but is setting an Opening Day deadline so that talks do not become a distraction, according to various reporters (including MLB.com’s Gregor Chisholm). Via Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi (on Twitter), Encarnacion would like to finish his career in Toronto. “I love this team, I love this city,” he says. “But it (doesn’t) depend on me. It depends what they’re thinking.” It was reported earlier this month that the Blue Jays would explore extensions with Encarnacion and Jose Bautista, both of whom are eligible for free agency after the season. The 33-year-old Encarnacion has hit 34 or more homers in each of the last four years, and in response to a question about what figure he might have in mind for a new contract, he says (via Chisholm) the only number he’s thinking of right now is 40, for the number of dingers he’d like to hit this season. Here’s more from the American League.
- GM David Forst says the Athletics see new acquisition Chris Coghlan as a “[Ben] Zobrist-type guy,” via a video from the Bay Area News Group’s John Hickey (on Twitter). Forst mentions that Coghlan has played second and third base in the past, along with left field and center field. Of course, Coghlan has mostly been a left fielder in his career, but it sounds like the Athletics could be preparing for him to take on a slightly different role this season. He did appear in 15 games at second base with the Cubs in 2015.
- Angels star Mike Trout hopes to steal more bases in 2016, Pedro Moura of the Los Angeles Times writes. “I gotta get my confidence back,” says Trout, referring to his base-stealing. Trout led the AL with 49 steals in 2012, but that number dropped to 11 (against seven caught stealings) in 2015. Trout is, obviously, plenty valuable whether he steals bases or not, and Moura notes that much of the Angels’ brain trust isn’t concerned about whether Trout racks up big base-stealing totals.
I doubt the Angels want Trout to increase his chance of getting hand/shoulder or leg/ankle injuries by sliding into bases.
Does not seem like smart baseball strategy wise either since he has been batting 2nd and 3rd with Pujols behind him why take the bat out of one of the few hitters your team has?
Because pujols hits into double plays every other at bat. Try to stay out of that
Who is going to drive him in then? CJ Cron? Who grounds into just as many double plays, Pujols is still going to be on first the potential for the double play will still be their just with a lot weaker batter.
I’m just saying it’s probably something they are thinking. Get trout to 2nd and hope he can be driven in. Can’t do that when pujols bats into a dp
It is a pointless risk Trout is fast enough to score on a hit to the gap from first, being stranded at 2nd does not help any thing.
Pujols GDP actually was cut in half last year and was near a career low, Scioscia is probably ahead of the problem and running on contact more.
This is the year Cron breaks out
I hope so. They need someone to step up.
Outside of Pujols Trout and Calhoun, they have no other power. Cron is that other power bat that needs to step up. I think Simmons can be good with a change of scenery.
Agreed. He’s a huge key this year.
the angels don’t have the power bat for left field that they were looking for but they have some grinder type players that can play small ball and win some games. I can see them winning the west but a lot of things have to go right.
Great move by the A’s!
Lock up EE Shapiro/Atkins.
nah
I’m sure they want him to steal. He was probably in more double plays than ever with Pujols batting behind him.
A’s acquisition of Coghlan for nothing sure seems like Epstein was throwing Billy Beane a bone. Very solid, underrated player.
It had to do with getting rid of payroll so they can sign Fowler. Smart move to send him to the AL so you don’t face him and a team that is not a playoff strong team. Epstein is doing was Beane does.
You think down the road if sonny gray is put on the trade market, I can see Epstein putting a package together to get that deal done. It might have to start with Schwarber.
I can’t imagine it starting with Schwarber… perhaps Soler, Baez plus a few minor league guys. If that’s not enough, then so be it. The Cubs don’t need Sonny Gray. Sure, they need another quality pitcher, but they need that guy to slot between Lester and Lackey Gray is a considerably bigger ‘get’ than that. So if the cost of Gray is too high, then move on- a guy like Tyson Ross would be just as effective for the Cubs in the postseason, and they could land him without giving up Schwarber.
Ross would be perfect I think for the cubs, Or Carrasco or Danny Salazar
You are acting like the Cubs need to get maximum value for the out-of-posiiton players on their roster crunch, but they don’t. They can absolutely trade Schwarber, Soler, Kendrick and Baez for Sonny Gray and not really lose anything in terms of depth, and gain wins. When a team is stacked like they are, the concept of trade value goes out the window and any player they want, they’ll get.
I was just thinking like as a fantasy trade to see sonny gray on the cubs, but in reality it’s not what the cubs need, all they need is another solid pitcher to slot between lackey and lester, tyson ross and salazar would be perfect candidates.
Who is Kendrick?
Also, how do you trade 4 players (assuming Kendrick is Kyle Hendricks) that figure to get a decent amount of time and not lose depth?
The concept of trade value never goes out the window.
lol. Gray is an elite cost-controlled pitcher. He slots ahead of Lester if he ever was traded to the Cubbies. Schwarber++ is needed to get a guy the caliber of Gray. Baez has the potential to be a nice player if he continues to develop and can limit his strikeouts (which are far too many, even in his young career).
If the plan is to win this year, then they need to put out the best team possible. And you haven’t convinced me that a team with Gray and no Schwarber is better than a team with Ross and Schwarber.
I’m not sure Gray makes the cubs better this year than Schwarber, Soler, Baez, Hendricks.
Gray fills in that missing rotation spot so you slide down lackey and hammel. But then you have a lf of, sczur? Victorino? and rely completely on Alcantra and Lastella as infield backups?
Is Gray really going to out produce what hendricks can do enough to account for the value of schwoler in lf and Baez as an infield/of back up?
No argument that Coghlan needed to go to make room for Fowler. Not only did moving Coghlan’s salary make room for Fowler’s, but they didn’t need to be spending $3.8 million on a 5th outfielder. In the end, the thought still stands that if they were going to just give away Coghlan like they did, then they could’ve given him away to anyone. That they chose to give him to Beane says something…
If Chris Coghlan was really a “Zobrist-type guy” then why would the Cubs sign Ben Zobrist and trade Chris Coghlan?
Yes, Coghlan has defensive versatility, but he is not a particularly a good fielder, even in left field.
While Coghlan’s a “Zobrist-type” guy in that he can play INF and OF not-horribly, but he’s not Ben Zobrist, who plays a gold glove caliber defense at both INF and OF positions. Zobrist the superior player for sure, that’s why the certified-contender Cubs upgraded for him and the risk-taking A’s traded for Coghlan. The A’s used that language as they acquired Zobrist for the same reason as they got Coghlan.
“Mike, you’re going to have to improve on those stolen base totals or we’ll just have to cut ties with you…”
“Your base-stealing ability is what we pay you for.”
It’s Trouts goal to steal bases. Last year his goal was to cut down on the K’s which he did. Now he wants to be a threat on the base-paths again.
If only there was a way for Oakland to get rid Reddick, Canha, Crisp, Sogard, Fuld and Butler, and obtain Joey Votto and Jay Bruce without giving up Barreto, Gray or Manaea.
Burns Votto Davis Vogt Valencia Bruce Lowrie Coghlan Semien
Phegley Alonso Crisp Ladendorf
That’s a contending lineup, for sure. The A’s either have to commit to winning or commit to a rebuild, and guys like Canha, Butler, Sogard and Fuld do not belong on a contender.
Even Super Trout cannot save this pathetic roster. Hello LF, C, 2B, 3B? And starters are average, at best.
LF is better than last year. C is better with Soto, 2B is the same as last year, 3B is better than last year, starting pitching is better with Skaggs and can be better with a comeback season from Richards which should benefit from the Simmons acquisition. Angels missed playoffs by one game last year. Try again troll.
You can’t just base this season on what happened last season. There is far too much sequencing that occurs throughout a baseball season to look at it like that.
The Angles are probably the third best team in that division as it stands now. Their depth is non-existent, so they better hope for a very healthy year
It’s been said that Pujols doesn’t like the distraction of a runner trying to steal as it affects his hitting. Thus why Trout doesn’t attempt as many steals being in the 3-slot. I hope the players take note of all what’s said of the weak offensive projections put out. Give C.J. Cron the regular at-bats and he can supplement offense for weeks, the amazing clutch hits Giovatella provided to even give us a chance to think the Angels had a chance for a wild card slot, Calhoun is solid. The pitchers have the potential to provide low scoring runs allowed to give the offense a chance with Heaney, Richards, Santiago, (hoping for precision pitching from Weaver). Skaggs is a question mark. Of course Wilson, he can dominate as long as his confidence isn’t rattled A lot of questions for this 2016 team, but I doubt the team will be a bottom-feader.
A’s aren’t getting any of those guys for Gray, Gray is worth a couple of low minor leaguers at best