Edwin Encarnacion: How Is It Possible He’s The Odd Man Out
When the offseason began, Edwin Encarnacion was undeniably the pick of the litter among position players in this year’s free agent supply of players who delight the fantasies of teams and fans alike. Because if we could just have that one guy to put us over the top, all our prayers would be answered. But a funny thing happened along the way and Edwin Encarncion has yet to be signed. His story is one of the most intriguing of the offseason…..
There’s one thing about cliches. They may be overused, but they are true. Timing is everything. And with Edwin Encarnacion, that is everything.
He’s a player who has hit the cover off a baseball for more years than we can count. He has performed in the postseason when cemented his spot in Blue Jays history with a walk-off three-run homer that sent his team to a dramatic 5-2 victory Tuesday night over the Orioles in the American League Wild Card Game.
He’s also only thirty three years old, which puts him a cut above his teammate Jose Bautista, who hallucinated in thinking that there was a team out there who would be willing to pay him $100 million for his services until he was 40 years old.
In the early days of the offseason, Edwin Encarnacion had a pretty lofty opinion of himself too and it was reported back in February that he was seeking a deal worth $125 million from possible suitors. At the time, no one raised an eyebrow and it was thought – okay, that’s maybe what he’s worth so let’s get in the game. What can it hurt to put it out there that we’re interested.
Edwin Encarnacion A Victim Of Too Much Interest
But too much interest is a problem because no one can sort it out. Who’s offering what, for how many years, who are the pretenders just kicking the tires, and who are the teams you really need to pay attention to. It gets overwhelming after a while and you move on maybe to other players or maybe trades to solve your team’s needs.
And suddenly, most of the players are no longer in the game. Rumors about the Indians being interested are floated, but they’re in between negotiations with Mike Napoli, so nothing develops.
Edwin Encarnacion waits. He sits by the phone waiting until the screen lights up and it’s his agent calling with the news that “We have a deal and you’re going to… for the next four years and we got real close to what we were shooting for “. But that call isn’t coming so you call your agent to vent, cajole, and maybe even threaten him with the notion that he can be fired and you’ll find a “real agent”.
But of course you don’t mean it and a few minutes later you call him back with apologies because you know that you are caught in the middle of a perfect storm. So, you just tell him to keep plugging away and call me as soon as anything looks promising.
There Will Be Another Day For Edwin Encarnacion
Edwin Encarnacion will soon sign a contract with a major league team. There are a slew of teams that need the production he can provide. Imagine him, for example, on the Mets hitting in tandem with Yeonis Cespedes , and the Mets could easily walk to the NLCS for a showdown with the Cubs.
But it takes two to tango and would the ownership of the Mets take on the payroll that would come with a chance to go to the World Series. The Dodgers would in a heartbeat. But that’s why they’re the Dodgers and facing sanctions if they can’t get their payroll under control in the very near future.
Next: Matt Holliday does not like Oakland
So maybe Edwin Encarnacion takes a one year deal, puts up his usual monsterous numbers, and throws his line in the water again next year. It’s a funny game sometimes…..