Toronto Blue Jays slugger Edwin Encarnacion likes the idea of landing in Boston this offseason, according to Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball.
Encarnacion’s contract expires at the end of the 2016 season.
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Encarnacion, Bautista Looking at Boston
Thursday, June 2
Heyman reported that Encarnacion and teammate Jose Bautista have thought about playing for the Boston Red Sox.
“Both Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion envision the Red Sox as a possible winter landing spot, provided David Ortiz really does go through with his plan to retire,” Heyman wrote.
Encarnacion, 33, is making $10 million this season, per Spotrac. Heyman believes he will be looking for a four-year deal, but Toronto may not agree to that request. The team has already offered him a two-year contract.
Bautista, 35, is also due for free agency this summer, although his contract demands are steep. According to TSN’s Rick Westhead, Bautista wants a five-year, $150 million deal.
Keeping both players—especially if Bautista receives his requested salary—seems unlikely. Toronto is currently two games out of a wild-card spot, so it is not like the team has a winning formula it cannot afford to break up. This makes it less feasible that the Blue Jays would give two contracts of at least four years to players well past their 30th birthdays.
Adding Encarnacion or Bautista would reinforce an already-scary Boston lineup. Take a look at their production with the Blue Jays.
The Red Sox lead the American League with 317 runs, well above the second-ranked Seattle Mariners with 262. The team is also collectively hitting .296, which easily leads MLB.
Boston is third in the AL with 70 home runs, so bringing in a player like Encarnacion, who has hit at least 34 jacks in the past four seasons, creates even more power in the middle of the lineup. This would seemingly replace Ortiz should he decide to retire.
Bautista could return, as he recently told Sports Illustrated‘s Tom Verducci that wants to stay in Toronto.
“I love the city,” Bautista said (via SI Wire). “I’d be stupid to leave.”
The Blue Jays would likely choose Bautista over Encarnacion given his longevity with the team and greater duration of success. Thus, it is possible Encarnacion could leave and wind up with a team like Boston next season.
Team statistics are courtesy of ESPN.com.
Player statistics are courtesy of Baseball-Reference.com.
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