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Edwin Encarnacion

Tallet, Encarnacion Clear Waivers

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Brian Tallet, Edwin Encarnacion and Vernon Wells have all cleared waivers, tweets Bob Elliott of The Toronto Sun.  We'll overlook Wells since no team will take on his mammoth contract, but the other two Blue Jays could draw some trade interest.

Tallet has a bit more than $500K remaining on his contract, and has held left-handed batters to a .474 OPS this season.  Minnesota just lost Jose Mijares for the next month and could be in the market for a lefty reliever.  The Twins have been connected to the Jays in trade rumors about relievers ever since Joe Nathan went on the shelf during spring training.  The two clubs weren't able to agree to a deal for the likes of Scott Downs or Jason Frasor, but Tallet would be available at a much lower price.

Encarnacion is a bit of a tougher sell.  He has about $1.3MM left on his contract, hasn't hit much (.242/.305/.458) and has an infamously shaky third base glove.  That slugging percentage might lead a team or two to make a call, but unless a contender has a sudden injury to a starting third baseman, there might not be much of a market for the 27-year-old. 

That said, such an injury just occurred in Atlanta.  If the Braves feel they need reinforcements to fill the Chipper Jones void, Toronto could be happy to make a trade.  Moving Encarnacion would likely mean that Jose Bautista gets most of the time at third base for the Jays, thus creating more outfield playing time for Travis Snider and Fred Lewis.

Blue Jays Outright Encarnacion To Minors

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WEDNESDAY, 8:56pm: Encarnacion cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Las Vegas according to The National Post's Twitter feed. 

MONDAY, 2:39pm: The Blue Jays designated Edwin Encarnacion for assignment, according to the team. The Blue Jays demoted Encarnacion, who they picked up in last summer's Scott Rolen trade, after yesterday's loss to the Giants. 

There's no question that Encarnacion has power – he hit five homers in three games back in May – but his overall .200/.298/.467 was not enough for him to keep his roster spot. Unlike Rolen, Encarnacion is a poor defender (career -12.4 UZR/150 in thousands of innings at third) so his contributions are limited when he slumps at the plate.

The Blue Jays will replace Encarnacion by playing Jose Bautista at third or relying on new addition Jarrett Hoffpauir. The Twins and Angels could have interest in Encarnacion, as both clubs have banged up infielders. 

Blue Jays GM Alex Anthopoulos told MLB.com's Jordan Bastian (Twitter link) that he doesn't expect Encarnacion to be claimed, given "the performance and the salary of the player." Encarnacion makes $4.75MM this year, but other clubs could have interest in a deal if the Blue Jays take on salary.

Odds & Ends: Giants, D’Backs, Rivera, Ramos

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Some links for Monday, before Mike Leake tries to restore order for the Reds…

Odds & Ends: Braves, Yankees, Encarnacion

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A few Saturday night links to peruse….

  • The Braves' outfield trio pales in comparison to those of their division rivals, according to David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (via Twitter). O'Brien says the team is still trying to add another outfield bat.
  • LoHud.com's Chad Jennings wonders if the Yankees' lineup would seem better if Curtis Granderson and Brett Gardner swapped positions, since Granderson has the power of a corner outfielder and Gardner has the speed of a center fielder. Jennings isn't suggesting they should swap, but calling attention to traditional expectations for offensive production at certain positions.
  • MLB.com has posted a series of articles highlighting burning questions that each team must answer as they head into the 2010 season.
  • Shi Davidi of the Canadian Press tweets an encouraging update on Edwin Encarnacion, following a fireworks accident. Paul Kinzer, Encarnacion's agent, says the third baseman is "doing really great" after an initial scare.

Odds & Ends: Rincon, Calero, Rangers, Encarnacion

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Here are some links to kick off the weekend…

  • Troy Renck of The Denver Post provides the details on Juan Rincon's contract with the Rockies. He'll earn $800K plus incentives in the big leagues, or $20K per month in the minors.
  • Satchel Price at Beyond The Box Score wonders why we haven't heard more about Kiko Calero this offseason. The Cubs and Giants were interested in the righthander at various times this offseason.
  • Richard Durrett of ESPN Dallas reiterates what we heard yesterday: the Rangers are seeking a veteran catcher. He mentions that they've shown interest in both Rod Barajas and Dioner Navarro.
  • Edwin Encarnacion suffered burns to his face in a fireworks accident according to ESPN Deportes' Enrique Rojas. He will not require surgery, and will be ready to go in Spring Training.
  • Jeff Passan at Yahoo! Sports lists ten players we should keep an on eye to see how their market develops during the remainder of the offseason. His list is led by Matt Holliday and Aroldis Chapman.
  • MLB.com's Matthew Leach notes that if the Cardinals felt they weren't in a good position to re-sign Holliday, they would have moved on to other targets by now. 
  • Dick Kaegel of MLB.com says that "it would take a calamitous showing" for Royals' manager Trey Hillman to lose his job this season given his relationship with GM Dayton Moore.
  • Steve Slowinski at DRaysBay goes back in time to evaluate the Danys Baez and Lance Carter for Edwin Jackson and Chuck Tiffany trade.

McDonald Re-Signs With Blue Jays

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WEDNESDAY 4:01pm: ESPN's Buster Olney reports (via email) that McDonald's deal is worth a total of $3MM over two years.

TUESDAY 7:52pm: Fanhouse's Ed Price (via Twitter) has learned that Toronto is "expected" to bring back free agent infielder John McDonald to a deal worth around $1.5MM, in what would likely be a one-year contract.

McDonald has been a reserve with the Blue Jays since 2005, and has become a fan favorite in Toronto due to his often-spectacular defense at shortstop.  He just completed a two-year/$3.8MM deal with the club and his return would give the Jays a strong back-up glove at third base (where Edwin Encarncacion and his "E-5" nickname has the starting job) and may even be a candidate to get regular playing time at shortstop given Marco Scutaro's Type A free-agent status.  McDonald's .258/.271/.384 line last season represented career highs in slugging percentage and OPS, but obviously the Jays would be absorbing a blow to their lineup by giving McDonald regular at-bats.

Reds Report: Volquez, Bruce, Gomes

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To put it mildly, this has been a rough year for Reds fans.  Edinson Volquez had the Cincinnati faithful buzzing after posting a 3.21 ERA with 9.5 K/9 in his first full season in 2008.  After logging just nine starts in the 2009 campaign, Volquez needed surgery to repair damage in his right elbow.  The Reds faded fast as their depleted staff wasn't getting much of a lift from their sagging offense.  Injuries to Joey Votto and Edwin Encarnacion (prior to being dealt to Toronto) certainly didn't do them any favors.

However, if the team's recent performance is any indication of what lies ahead, Reds fans might have something to cheer about in 2010.  Dusty Baker's squad has gone 19-11 since September 1st, thanks in part to stronger pitching (3.39 team ERA) and the return of Jay Bruce, who missed two months with a broken wrist.

Buster Olney, Baseball Prospectus and the ESPN Insider staff compiled a glance at this past season and what to expect next year in Cincy.  An ESPN Insider account is needed to read the article, but here are the brass tacks for those without:

  • It's no secret that the Reds don't have a top-flight budget.  They opened this season with a payroll of $73MM and owner Bob Castellini isn't going to "go all Steinbrenner" and tack-on much more.
  • Further exacerbating their financial woes are their pricey commitments to Bronson Arroyo, Francisco Cordero, Aaron Harang and Scott Rolen.  Combined, these four players are owed $46.5 million next season.
  • Olney says that considering their lack of flexibility this offseason, Homer Bailey might be their best chance for improvement as he recorded a 2.41 ERA in September.  The velocity that made Bailey such a highly-coveted prospect has returned, with his fastball being clocked at an average of 94.5 MPH this year.  This is a big step-up from his previous big league work and could spell an even bigger jump in 2010.
  • Baseball Prospectus says that their "acceptable" rate of 4.5 runs allowed per game is due in part to their much-improved defense.  It will be interesting to see if defensive-minded yet weak-hitting shortstop Paul Janish will be the Reds' starter next season.  Manager Dusty Baker said on Friday that a "definitive decision" hasn't been made yet.
  • Jay Jaffe of Baseball Prospectus notes that the combined efforts of all Reds batting in the top two lineup spots resulted in a slash line of .245/.301/.354.  When Willy Taveras hit the DL in August, Dusty Baker put rookie Drew Stubbs and the aforementioned Janish at the top of the order.  The team has gone 27-15 since then, but Jaffe attributes most of the credit for that to the improved performance of the pitching staff.
  • The "Rumor Central" portion of the piece encourages Reds fans that are anxious to see the team acquire a big bat to consider what the offense is capable of if they are healthy.  Injury-free seasons from Bruce and Votto should give Cincinnati a major boost.
  • The report says to expect the Reds to tender Jonny Gomes an offer as he is arbitration-eligible.  This should come as no surprise as Gomes has belted 20 HRs in 311 plate appearances while posting .266/.338/.540.
  • Jaffe says that Jocketty could deal Arroyo or Harang to give the team room to make a mid-level signing this winter.  He adds, "…It's difficult to envision this team breaking out of the middle of the pack without keen vision and bold steps."

Stark On Holliday, Lee, Yankees, Hoffman

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ESPN.com's Jayson Stark reports that the Cardinals and Phillies may be better off letting their respective deadline acquisitions walk once they hit free agency. Here are the details and the rest of his rumors:

  • We know that Matt Holliday's interested in staying in St. Louis. But one AL exec doubts the Cards can afford to tie up $40-50MM per year in Holliday and Albert Pujols. It could work short-term, but could prevent the Cardinals from keeping Adam Wainwright and Chris Carpenter. Plus, the pair of sluggers may not be worth a combined $50MM in a few years.
  • One team official believes Cliff Lee's agent will be looking for a $100MM payday once the lefty hits free agency after next season (assuming the Phils pick up his 2010 option). The official says the Phillies should consider letting Lee walk after next year, instead of committing long-term to him.
  • The teams that considered dealing for Johan Santana after the 2007 season aren't surprised to hear that he's having elbow trouble now, though it's not something they anticipated with any sense of certainty. However, Mets assistant GM John Ricco says he doesn't regret the way the team handled its ace.
  • There are increasing indications that the Yankees don't plan on being big buyers in the free agent market this offseason. The Yankees seem more likely to keep Johnny Damon and let Austin Jackson grow into a full-time player than pursue Matt Holliday or Jason Bay.
  • Stark hears that the Red Sox were the only team to claim Billy Wagner. We heard the Angels had interest, but apparently they never made a claim.
  • One executive believes AL teams would have very little interest in Trevor Hoffman. Hoffman has value because of his status as a Type A free agent, which could factor in to teams' claims.
  • Rival clubs expect the Blue Jays to try dealing Edwin Encarnacion after the season. He makes $4.75MM in 2010, so it won't be easy.
  • The Royals are still trying to deal Ron Mahay and at least one scout expects a team or two to have interest in ther veteran lefty.

Olney On Parity, Waivers, Rolen, Encarnacion

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ESPN.com's Buster Olney shows that the economic downturn has widened the gap between rich teams and poor ones after a decade of relative parity. As he shows, seven of the eight teams with the biggest payrolls would make the playoffs if they began today. The Mets have the game's second-biggest payroll, but wouldn't make it. Here are a few others notes from Olney's blog:

  • We could start hearing about waiver claims today, since teams have stared putting players on waivers.
  • The Reds' acquisition of Scott Rolen is "without question the most widely panned pre-deadline trade within the industry." 
  • The Reds gave up Josh Roenicke and Zach Stewart, a pair of highly-regarded young arms. 
  • One talent evaluator believes the Jays will release Edwin Encarnacion after the season.  Even if the third baseman's $4.75MM salary is too much for the Jays, they'd presumably try to trade him first.

Reds Acquire Scott Rolen For Edwin Encarnacion

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6:09pm: Blair also hears that the Jays will send about $4MM to the Reds.

4:50pm: Richard Griffin of the Toronto Star reports that the Jays will pay all of Rolen's 2009 salary, nearly $4MM. Ken Rosenthal and Jon Paul Morosi report that an undisclosed amount of cash is changing hands. 

4:26pm: The Jays will pay some of the $4MM Rolen makes between now and the end of the season, according to Jeff Blair of the Globe and Mail.

4:25pm: MLB.com's Jordan Bastian reports that Jays GM J.P. Ricciardi says Rolen asked to be traded for "personal reasons."

3:14pm: Rolen approved the deal, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post (on Twitter).  ESPN's Keith Law says Yonder Alonso is not in the deal. Instead, it'll be Encarnacion, Josh Roenicke, and Zach Stewart heading to Toronto according to John Fay of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

2:56pm: FOX Sports says the Blue Jays will get Edwin Encarnacion and a minor leaguer.  Rolen is expected to approve the deal.  It's a massive upgrade for the Reds defensively.

2:40pm: The Reds acquired third baseman Scott Rolen, according to SI's Jon Heyman (via Twitter).  The next step is Rolen approving the trade.  He's owed $4MM this year and another $11MM in 2010.  The slick-gloved 34 year-old has bounced back to hit .320/.370/.476 in 373 plate appearances this year.

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