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Cl-EE-veland! Tribe adds big bat
- Updated: December 23, 2016
CLEVELAND — Coming off a trip to the World Series, the Indians were already viewed as one of the American League favorites for next season. On Thursday night, Cleveland stepped out of its financial comfort zone, made a statement and strengthened its footing even further by reeling in free-agent slugger Edwin Encarnacion.
A source told MLB.com’s Jesse Sanchez that the Indians have reached an agreement with Encarnacion on a three-year contract that includes a fourth-year option. The deal is worth $65 million guaranteed, which includes a $5 million buyout for the $25 million option for the 2020 season. The Indians have not confirmed the deal, which is pending a physical.
In all likelihood, the deal will not be made official until after the holidays, which is common for contracts that are agreed upon at this time of year.
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With Mike Napoli hitting free agency this winter, the Indians’ clear offseason need was power for the heart of the order. The most logical place to add — given the construction of the Tribe’s roster — was at first base and designated hitter. That made Encarnacion the perfect fit for Cleveland, though it still seemed like an improbable pairing given the club’s financial limitations.
Right now, though, the Indians know they have an advantage not only over their AL Central rivals — the other four teams are in various states of transition — but are returning as the AL champions for 2017. With one of the game’s top rotations, an elite bullpen anchored by Andrew Miller and Cody Allen, and a lineup that should have a healthy Michael Brantley back in the fold, it was an opportune time to spend on a marquee bat.
In Encarnacion, Cleveland is getting one of the best power hitters in the game.
Encarnacion, who will turn 34 on Jan. 7, hit .263 with 42 home runs and 127 RBIs last season for the Blue Jays. Over the past five years, the first baseman has hit .272 with a .912 OPS and an average of 39 homers and 110 RBIs per season. During that five-year span, the three-time All-Star ranked second in the Majors in home runs (193) and RBIs (550), third in Isolated Power (.272), fifth in slugging percentage (.544) and sixth in OPS+ …
