Encarnacion headed to Cleveland
Two months ago, they stole a World Series appearance away from the Toronto Blue Jays. Now, the Cleveland Indians have stolen one of their most popular players and most productive bats in Edwin Encarnacion.
A signing six weeks in the making was completed late Thursday when Encarnacion, according to reports, agreed to a three-year deal worth US$20 million per year, including a club option for a fourth season at US$20 million, which comes along with a guaranteed US$5-million buyout. The Blue Jays offered the veteran slugger a four-year, US$80-million deal back in November.
From reclamation product to bona fide middle-of-the-order star, Encarnacion, who will turn 34 on Jan. 7, was a quiet fan favourite who did his talking with the bat, hitting 239 home runs over seven-plus seasons in Toronto, placing him third in franchise history behind Carlos Delgado (336) and Jose Bautista (265), who also remains unsigned.
Likely to be of little consolation to season ticket holders, the Jays will receive a compensatory draft pick thanks to losing Encarnacion to their American League rivals, a team that walked all over them in five games in the ALCS back in October. Encarnacion went four for 19 with no home runs and two RBI in that season-ending series.
Encarnacion’s deal may not become official until he passes a physical, but it ends a saga that started with his camp, led by agent Paul Kinzer, floating five years and US$125 million as the benchmark early in the off-season.
That obviously didn’t happen, but neither did the offer he rejected from the Jays in early November, which led general manager Ross Atkins and president Mark Shapiro to quickly shift gears and sign a similar player, Kendrys Morales, to a three-year, US$33-million deal a couple of days later. They also picked up platoon piece Steve Pearce.
Encarnacion has hit 310 home runs since breaking into the major leagues with the Cincinnati Reds in 2005. He has averaged a .272/.367/.544 slash line with 39 longballs over the past five seasons.