Edwin Encarnacion
Position: First Base
Bats: Right – Throws: Right
Born: January 7, 1983 (Age 33)
The Mets have a few needs going into this offseason, but one in particular is a right-handed power bat to put right in the middle of the lineup. Veteran Edwin Encarnacion is certainly a right-handed power bat, but is he a good fit for the Mets?
The 3-time All Star has been one of the premier power hitters in the game for a while now. Since 2012, he hasn’t hit less than 34 home runs, and that year he only played in 128 games. In those 5 seasons, he has hit .272/.367/.544 with 193 home runs, 553 RBIs, and 27 stolen bases. The former Cincinnati Reds third baseman played 160 games for the Blue Jays in 2016, belting 42 home runs and leading the American League with 127 RBIs.
While he hasn’t played at third base in a while, he has logged 5752.2 innings at the hot corner in his career, giving him a little more value as he could play there in a pinch. This signing would undoubtedly affect the playing time of Lucas Duda, however there is little doubt that Encarnacion’s offensive output would be superior to Duda’s in most ways.
The Blue Jays have extended a qualifying offer to Encarnacion, so if the Mets were to sign him, they would forfeit their first round pick (22nd overall) in the 2017 draft. However, the Mets have extended qualifying offers to Yoenis Cespedes and Neil Walker, so it is possible that even if the Mets were to surrender their 22nd overall pick, they might gain one or two first round picks if Cespedes and/or Walker sign elsewhere. That being said, Blue Jays GM Ross Atkins has made it publicly known that he wants to retain both Encarnacion and Jose Bautista, both of which have qualifying offers in hand.
Contract:
Though he will turn 34 before the start of the 2017 season, his status as a power-hitting DH could increase his chances of getting a longer-term contract. It is reasonable to think he will fetch a four-or-five-year contract with an annual salary around $20-$25M which would take him through his age 37 or 38 season.
Reccomendation:
No, but thank you anyway. Encarnacion is arguably the second best free-agent hitter on the market (after Yoenis Cespedes), so he will probably get a good deal for a sizeable amount of money. Due to that fact, as well as knowing Sandy Alderson’s aversion to long-term contracts for aging players, the Mets will probably sit this one out. New York already has Lucas Duda for now, but signing Encarnacion to a long term deal would block the way for prospect Dominic Smith. While Encarnacion is a great player with a great home run trot, I don’t see him playing for the Mets next season.
