MLB PLAYER NEWS

Encarnacion’s deal with Indians a risk worth taking

The Sports Xchange

December 24, 2016 at 10:24 pm.

Oct 4, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion (10) hits a walk off home run to beat the Baltimore Orioles during the eleventh inning in the American League wild card playoff baseball game at Rogers Centre. Photo Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

Oct 4, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion (10) hits a walk off home run to beat the Baltimore Orioles during the eleventh inning in the American League wild card playoff baseball game at Rogers Centre. Photo Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

Because the 34-year-old bet on himself when he left the Toronto Blue Jays and a four-year offer of $80 million with a fifth-year option, plenty see him as having lost the bet.

This just isn’t true.

In a sport where the winners and losers in free agency are too often merely measured by annual salaries and the total value of contracts, important things can get overlooked. Encarnacion might not end up earning as much as he could have from Toronto — though he still could — but he has significantly enhanced his chances of winning a World Series.

Cleveland just lost Game 7 of the World Series to the Chicago Cubs in extra innings. It brings back almost every key player for 2017, with the major change being Encarnacion’s bat replacing Mike Napoli’s in the lineup.

Given the state of the American League Central — the Chicago White Sox are trading top players, the Minnesota Twins are rebuilding, the Kansas City Royals have not improved themselves and the Detroit Tigers are listening on trade offers for their elite players — the Indians are probably the best bet in the AL to reach the postseason.

Now Napoli, a free agent that cost-conscious Cleveland could have brought back for far less, had an .800 OPS with 34 home runs and 101 RBIs. But Encarnacion had an .886 OPS with 42 home runs and a league-leading 127 RBI. The 34-year-old also has been consistently one of the game’s biggest producers, averaging 39 homers and 110 RBIs over the past five seasons.

The Indians have a great rotation headlined by Corey Kluber, Carlos Carrasco and Danny Salazar and perhaps baseball’s best bullpen with Andrew Miller, Bryan Shaw and Cody Allen. The time to win is now and so the expense to bring in Encarnacion makes sense.

The signing really doesn’t have any losers.

If you were surprised that, at his age, Encarnacion turned down the Blue Jays’ offer, you’re not alone. Even with Encarnacion, Yoenis Cespedes and Justin Turner signed, there was a glut of free agent power hitters. The group still unsigned includes Mark Trumbo, Chris Carter, Jose Bautista, Napoli and Brandon Moss.

And Encarnacion is primarily a designated hitter, which means the group of teams that would go after him was pared from 30 to 15. With Albert Pujols the only DH making more than $20 million annually, a contract he signed when he played first base, there’s no question Encarnacion was taking a chance.

And it looked more perilous when Toronto pulled its offer after Encarnacion turned it down and signed Kendrys Morales and Steve Pearce.

In the run-up to Cleveland making the deal, the notoriously low-spending Oakland Athletics saw the chance to get a singular talent on the cheap and were very involved. Encarnacion’s free agency was starting to have a similar feel to a college player falling in the NFL Draft.

Then finally the Indians and Encarnacion saw that this was the right match. So there were sacrifices made on each side.

Cleveland waded into the deep end of the free agent pool and unfamiliar surroundings, committed significant cash and had to give up the 25th pick in the draft to compensate Toronto (because it made a one-year, $17.2 million qualifying offer).

Encarnacion becomes the Tribe’s highest-paid player by a huge sum; the other DH/first baseman, Carlos Santana, makes $12 million annually. And it is adding a player in his mid-30s, which is not the trend.

Cleveland is a young team, but a number of key players will be hitting free agency in the next two years, including Santana, Miller and Michael Brantley. It’s possible the Indians won’t pick up that fourth year and Encarnacion will have lost out on a bigger payday.

But in the here and now, those sacrifices look worthwhile. They might end up with Encarncion and the Indians being fitted for World Series rings.

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