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Blue Jays GM: Encarnacion return ‘less likely’ now
- Updated: November 18, 2016
TORONTO — The decision to sign Kendrys Morales has made it “less likely” that the Blue Jays will bring back Edwin Encarnacion, but the club insists it hasn’t ruled out that possibility.
Toronto officially signed Morales to a three-year contract worth $33 million on Friday afternoon. General manager Ross Atkins hosted a conference call with reporters after the deal was announced, and he was pressed for answers on what the signing means for Encarnacion.
Atkins conceded that Morales’ deal does change things, but it doesn’t necessarily mean the Blue Jays are out of the running for Encarnacion or fellow free agent Jose Bautista.
“It makes things slightly less likely for Edwin, but doesn’t impact us on Jose in any way,” Atkins said when asked about the implications of Morales’ deal. “We still feel that both are realistic for us, but when you sign someone like Kendrys Morales, that does decrease the likelihood of Edwin coming back to the Blue Jays. But it by no means eliminates that possibility.”
Encarnacion spent most of his time in Toronto as a designated hitter, but he played 78 games at first base in 2016. He handled the position well defensively, but the bigger question is whether Encarnacion can remain healthy while playing there on an everyday …
