Encarnacion a booming presence
Longoria sports optimism, beard
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — As fans lining the chain-linked fence next to Cleveland’s main practice field jockeyed for better position to snatch an autograph or selfie with the team’s newest star, Edwin Encarnacion showed no emotion.
With his glove balanced on his head, Encarnacion signed baseballs, bats, cards and whatever else was thrust in front of him. He didn’t seem to be enjoying himself.
That’s when one fan pleaded for a little more.
“Hey,” he told Encarnacion. “You know you can smile. You’re with Cleveland now.”
On cue, Encarnacion beamed.
There’s a lot of toothy grins on display these days with the Indians, whose signing of Encarnacion to a three-year, $60 million contract — the richest in team history — as a free agent this winter gives the AL champions a middleof-the-order slugger unlike any they’ve had since Albert Belle, Jim Thome and Manny Ramirez anchored some of those potent Cleveland teams in the 1990s.
After eight seasons in Toronto, Encarnacion has a new home — and an unexpected one.
When free agency opened, the small-market Indians were perceived as the longest of longshots to sign Encarnacion, who hit 42 homers and led the league with 127 RBIs in 2016. There were as many as four other teams better financially positioned to sign the 34-year-old, who seemed destined to resume his career in Boston or Texas or anywhere but Cleveland.
But he chose the Indians because of their potential to be playing again deep into October.
“I made the decision to come here, because here I have the opportunity to win the World Series,” said Encarnacion, whose 193 homers over the past five seasons are the second most in the majors. “This team, they look great and I think they have great, young talented players here. We have a lot of opportunity to be in the World Series again and win it.”
YANKEES: Nick Swisher has arrived as a guest spring training instructor and Alex Rodriguez is on deck.
Swisher worked with outfielders Monday during his first day, which came three days after announcing his retirement as a player.
“I never have to worry about an 0 for 4 again,” Swisher said with a smile. “It’s great to be back.”
A-Rod is set to make his initial appearance today.
“He’s going to work with our players,” New York manager Joe Girardi said. “Dispense knowledge that he has about how to play the game when he talks to the young kids, some of the expectations about how to deal with it. All the things Alex did well.”
RAYS: Evan Longoria still isn’t a fan of last month’s trade that sent second baseman and close friend Logan Forsythe to the Los Angeles Dodgers for a pitching prospect; however, the three-time All-Star isn’t letting his personal displeasure cloud his overall view of efforts to improve the Rays’ roster.
“We were all a little bit upset by the loss of Logan. I was about as vocal as I’ve ever been on any given topic or move being made. But that said, I think some of the additions we did make are really good,” said Longoria, preparing for his 10th big league season and rocking a full beard he began growing three months ago.
“My wife likes it,” he explained. PIRATES: Pittsburgh missed the playoffs last season for the first time in four years, but that won’t cause chairman Bob Nutting to abandon the team’s steady, build-fromwithin approach.
“We have not embraced, as many teams have, that you have to go in cycles and you have to commit to five years of a bad team in a rebuilding cycle,” Nutting said. “We believe that by infusing talent into the organization at every level we can, every way that we can, we can create a sustained, competitive team. We may be proven wrong at some point, but that’s still our target and our goal.”
GIANTS: Johnny Cueto remains in the Dominican Republic helping his ailing father a week after pitchers and catchers reported to spring training, and the Giants plan to reach out to him to see how he is doing and whether he thinks he will be ready to pitch for his country in the World Baseball Classic.