Edwin Encarnacion Is Giving The Blue Jays Until Opening Day To Get An Extension Done
The Toronto Blue Jays have scored 3,042 runs over the last four seasons. Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion have driven in 778, or 26%, of those runs. They will both be free agents at the end of this upcoming season.
The Blue Jays have expressed interest in extending both players, but I’m not sensing that there’s an urgency when there absolutely should be. Encarnacion alone has driven in 14% of the Blue Jays runs over the last four seasons. In addition to Donaldson, Encarnacion has meant more to the Blue Jays’ offense than Bautista has. He’s also three years younger, which is another reason that Toronto should pony up to keep him there.
Like many other players, Encarnacion does not want to negotiate a contract in-season. Some teams have this rule, but it’s a rule that some players live by as well. Encarnacion has informed the Toronto Blue Jays that they have until Opening Day to get a deal done, or else they’re going to have to wait until free agency and get in line like everybody else.
Edwin Encarnacion, who is eligible for free agency after the upcoming season, has set an Opening Day deadline to sign a contract extension with the Toronto Blue Jays. That’s less than seven weeks away.
Encarnacion’s agent, Paul Kinzer, told FOX Sports on Monday that the Blue Jays have not made the designated hitter a multiyear contract offer this offseason. Kinzer said formal contract negotiations have yet to begin with the team’s new baseball operations leaders, Mark Shapiro and Ross Atkins.
“It’s not like we’re upset with anyone,” Kinzer said in a telephone interview. “There’s plenty of time to work out a deal if they want to.
“Edwin loves it there. He’s talked about how, if he has another couple good seasons, he might have his number on the wall. But they [Shapiro and Atkins] are new, so they’re still getting to know everyone.”
The Blue Jays definitely aren’t doing themselves any favors by waiting till the last minute, when they know that the player has a set deadline to cut off negotiations. It just seems odd, since the Blue Jays have publicly acknowledged that they want to get a deal done, yet the clock is ticking and Encarnacion still doesn’t even have an offer. Perhaps Toronto, who has the money but never wants to spend it, knows that they can only sign one of the two, and Bautista, who hasn’t set a deadline, is their guy. Just a thought.
They’ve emptied their farm system over the last two years to win during their window with both Encarnacion and Bautista in their lineup, which I totally agree with. In the post-Steroid Era, it’s hard to come by one player with 40-home run, 100-RBI power, never mind having THREE of those guys in the same lineup. It sounds like Encarnacion really wants to stay in Toronto, and the Blue Jays definitely have the funds to keep him there, so the organization would be doing a huge disservice to their fans if they let this guy get away.
