Blue Jays: Edwin Encarnacion will get Big Payday, but not From Toronto

Edwin Encarnacion’s gamble has paid off but, according to speculation, don’t expect the Blue Jays to be among the teams prepared to offer a big payday.

Edwin Encarnacion took a gamble on himself after the Blue Jays weren’t willing to, and it looks like it’s going to pay off. As a result, we could be witnessing the final few weeks of him plying his trade in Toronto.

During spring training, Encarnacion and the Blue Jays started discussing a new contract, with his current one set to expire at the conclusion of this season. However, one of the biggest disagreements was allegedly tied to the length of any prospective deal.

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Speculation indicated the three-time All-Star was looking for four years. Meanwhile, the organization was apparently prepared to offer two guaranteed years, plus two option years – with the possibility of going to three.

With negotiations seemingly going nowhere, Encarnacion announced that talks would cease at the conclusion of spring training. His rationale was that he didn’t want to be distracted once the regular season started.

As agent Paul Kinzer told MLB Insider Jon Heyman: “We weren’t going to talk during the season. He was going to concentrate on baseball.”

Kinzer went on to explain to Heyman that he told Encarnacion just to put up his usual 30 home runs and 100 RBIs, and everything else would take care of itself. It turns out that this was a conservative estimate.

The 2000 ninth round draft pick is having a career year, having already set a personal best for RBIs. By the end of the campaign, he should also have single season highs for hits and runs, and potentially home runs.

In the process, there should be no shortage of interested parties ready to offer big bucks to Encarnacion. The Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees have repeatedly been mentioned, with the Seattle Mariners conceivably also in the running.

Sep 9, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Edwin Encarnacion (10) and designated hitter Jose Bautista (19) during a pre game presentation to Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz (34) at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports /

From the Blue Jays’ point of view, they obviously would like to keep the 33-year old beyond this season. The problem is, the apparently don’t intend to pay the type of money he will get offered from other teams.

According to Heyman, the thinking of the organization is they don’t agree with tying up a significant amount of the payroll in a few select players. They already have this situation with the likes of Russell Martin and Troy Tulowitzki.

Objectively speaking, this line of thinking is understandable, especially when you add in the Blue Jays’ intention to get younger. However, surely you have to make an exception for one of the best hitters in the game?

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If we’re honest, it’s not as if the hierarchy doesn’t have the available funds. Current estimates have Encarnacion getting $80 million over four years, which the Blue Jays can certainly afford.

In addition, the fans have done their part, helping the team lead the AL in average attendance this season. They deserve to be rewarded for the part they’ve played, especially with ticket prices set to be raised next year.

Of course, it doesn’t matter what this writer thinks. Mark Shapiro and company will ultimately do what they want.

Regardless, let’s leave the final word to a rival executive, who told Heyman: “He’s a great player, and a great clubhouse guy. You can’t let this kind of guy go.”

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Put your GM hat on for a moment – what would you do about Encarnacion? Would you offer him however much it takes, or prefer not to overextend yourself to retain him? Let us know in the comments section below.

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