With Edwin Encarnacion’s imposed extension deadline of Opening Day now in the rear-view mirror, Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi writes that the slugger’s “sole focus” is on the season at hand, and further talks aren’t expected. As Davidi writes, there were no talks over the final couple weeks of Spring Training, and the team didn’t make a late push to get a deal done.
“If they were going to do something, I was ready,” the first baseman/designated hitter said. “I know I want to stay here, I’d love to stay here, but it’s not my decision, it’s not something I can control. I’m going to focus on my season and see what’s coming.” Encarnacion also added: “…after today I don’t want to talk anymore or anything like that.”
Notably, Davidi reports that the Blue Jays’ most recent suggestion was a two-year extension, which was a “total non-starter.” A two-year deal for Encarnacion strikes me as a wholly unrealistic expectation, considering the fact that since 2012, the 33-year-old has batted .274/.371/.549 with 151 home runs (second in the Majors in that time, as Davidi points out). A typical season for Encarnacion should easily net him a four-year contract on next year’s depleted free agent market, and a five-year pact shouldn’t be considered out of the question at this admittedly early stage. Tim Dierkes recently ranked Encarnacion fifth in the first installment of MLBTR’s 2016-17 free agent power rankings, noting that a four-year deal worth as much as $100MM seems reasonable if Encarnacion maintains his production in 2016, and he too voiced a belief that five years could end up on the table.
The failure to lock up either Encarnacion or fellow right-handed slugger Jose Bautista means that both players will likely hit the open market next winter and could very well be entering their last season as members of the Blue Jays. While Toronto is, of course, widely expected to contend for a postseason spot on the heels of their ALCS run last year, it’ll be interesting to see what transpires this summer should the season not go according to plan. Both Encarnacion and Bautista are locks to receive and reject a qualifying offer next winter (assuming healthy, productive seasons), but they’re also the types of potential trade pieces whose returns would outweigh the value of a compensatory draft pick. (Bautista and Encarnacion, of course, would have to approve any deal in that highly theoretical scenario, as each has 10-and-5 rights.) Should the season go according to plan in Toronto, though, that’ll be a moot point, and the Jays will stand to recoup a pair of draft picks in 2017 as their prized sluggers test the waters of free agency.
Steve — Nice of you to return for opening day. (TIC)
Yes, we missed you.
At some point all of his injuries are going to affect the hitting side of his game and really cut into his ability to stay on the field (which has already begun). EE has went from being a third baseman (a bad one) to being a part-time first baseman in his early 30’s. He is deteriorating.
Once the Jays are out of contention, I see them moving him for whatever they can get. Hopefully it is pitching.
They cannot move him with out his approval. I am not so sure he will OK a trade but he may like the idea of not having a draft pick attached to him by way of mid season trade. I could see this as a plus for him if they did want to make a trade if they fall out of contention.
The Jays won’t be out of contention this year, so no point in talking about trades.
Being a poor defender does not necessarily mean your body is deteriorating. Some guys just aren`t good defensively, it has nothing to do with their physical conditioning.
I think the Vmart contract is what EE should get it turned out to be an overpay for Vmart but I don’t see how age earns you 30+ million more when you already rarely field a position, Pro rating it to todays market 4 years 75=80 million seems extremely fair,
From a team standpoint, they can’t sign EE to anything more than two years, Josh Donaldson will be a free agent and likely an expensive extension candidate, and many of the good young players the jays have will become arbitration eligible. The Jays hands are tied on this one. The two year offer wasn’t meant to be an insult I’m sure, it’s just the reality of the situation. Add in the fact that the Jays have many guys who can fill the DH spot like Martin, Tulo, and Donaldson on off days, and Collobello under team control at first, (although I’m not a big fan or convinced of him yet) there really isn’t room under the current payroll structure. The jays will have some holes in the bullpen and maybe even the outfield coming up as well that will need to be filled over the DH spot.
Jays won’t be out of contention
Agreed
While I love Edwing, and while he doesn’t really have much to prove to get a good short-term contract after the season, if he goes, he goes. He’ll still play for a large contract during the coming off-season, which means another 40 hr 110 rbi. That’s fine with me. Give him a WS ring as a going away present…he deserves it.
EE deserves a good contact, but the jays may not have the economic means to lock him up. They likely can only have one of EE or Joey Bats, and I have a feeling the lean more towards Bautista.
Also have to consider the fact they may need to lock up Donaldson, Stroman, and any other young players they may want to keep for the long haul. Who knows, though as ownership may allow them to go big and sign both EE and Bautista.
Pillar, Sanchez, Osuna, Hutchison, Goins, Travis, etc
Do you think he deserve it because of what he did in the past or what you think he’ll do in the future?
The Jays have to pick between EE or Jose. They’re most likely not getting both and have to make sure they don’t overpay because they’ll have to lock up Donaldson next year and that won’t be a little contract.
Donaldson just signed a 2 year deal and has 1 more year of arbitration after that contract is up
At this point I’d rather only sign one of ee and Bautista and I’d want Bautista due to his elite obp. Ee will have a quicker and steeper decline imo
The issue with Encarnacion that most non-jays writers fail to notice is that the majority of the guys productions comes in a relatively short span of the season. He completely lacks consistency. The Jays were lucky last year that his major hot streak came down the stretch, but that is not always the case. He usually pads below average stats with one amazing productive month of baseball, which does not seem sustainable.
Over the past four seasons he has four individual one-month splits with an OPS under .800 (or if you prefer, four one-month splits with a wRC+ of less than 120). His OBP was .380 or better in each of the final four months of the 2015 season.
If anything, I’d say he’s remarkably consistent in terms of getting on base and hitting for power — more so than most sluggers due to the fact that he only strikes out at a 14-15 percent clip.
Thanks for clarifying that maligned response.
It would be nutty to sign a pure DH to a 3-5 year deal who is already 33 and has started to show injury issues. Yes, he has been great for the Jays but his 10 most similar from age 34 on had a ‘best case’ of 5 years (Joe Carter), 4 years (Darryl Strawberry). The highest WAR was 3.2 from Tim Salmon over 3 years. The best OPS+ was 130 from Frank Howard over 3 years.
No matter how I cut it, I don’t see a way to argue that EE will be a good investment even at 2 years right at this moment. Now, if he has a 50 HR year this year and stays healthy someone will go nuts and sign him to a 3+ year deal while saying ‘screw history, he is a special player’. Funny how often when teams say that they get burned.