The Indians Are 'Pulling Out All The Stops' To Sign Edwin Encarnacion
We’re almost into the new year, and the top free agent bat, Edwin Encarnacion, is still available. For now.
The latest report from Encarnacion’s agent was that the slugger has “turned down multi-year offers (most in the three-year range) from six different teams since the winter meetings.” Obviously he thinks he can do better — and quite frankly, he should do better — but a satisfactory offer has yet to present itself, apparently. Suitors have been dropping like flies in the meantime, as organizations have found adequate alternatives to Encarnacion’s services. There’s no name who can compare to Encarnacion’s production on the free agent market, but teams have sought out cheaper options that don’t cost as much in terms of dollars, years, and draft pick compensation.
After coming within one game of winning the World Series last year, it seems like the Cleveland Indians know that their team has a real shot of getting right back to the Fall Classic in 2017. I mean, think about it. They made it to Game 7 of the World Series without two of their top three starters in Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar. That, and their best hitter from 2015, Michael Brantley, essentially missed the entire 2016 season. If you can get to Game 7 of the World Series against the super team that Theo Epstein has assembled in Chicago, then what might the Tribe be able to accomplish with Carrasco, Salazar, Brantley, AND Encarnacion?
That must be their thought process, because the Tribe is doing everything they can, within reason, to lure Encarnacion to Cleveland.
Kinzer declined to name any teams involved in the current bidding, but sources suggest the Indians are “pulling out all the stops” to try to make it work – though most believe Encarnacion ultimately is a luxury the Indians will have difficulty affording.
The Indians were 22nd in the MLB in payroll last season, spending just under $84 million for their American League pennant-winning squad, so backing up the money truck isn’t quite their thing. But they would be doing a huge disservice to their fans if they didn’t do everything they could to win with this group that they have in place right now. I wrote about it after the season ended, but pretty much every significant piece to this Indians franchise is under contract for the foreseeable future. Not many teams can say that one bat puts them over the top, but you could certainly make that case for Cleveland and Encarnacion.
Whether or not this actually plays out remains to be seen. As the report states, money will be an issue, and Encarnacion clearly has no problem with waiting this thing out until he sees the dollar signs that he’s looking for. The industry belief is that he’ll ultimately end up with the Texas Rangers, but the fit in Cleveland is just too perfect.