Edwin Encarnacion told the Toronto Blue Jays that he'd be willing to negotiate a contract extension until Opening Day in order to avoid any distractions during the season. If he still stands his ground, it appears as if he'll be a free agent following the 2016 MLB season.
Encarnacion said earlier this month that the talks between him and the Jays weren't progressing as the two sides couldn't come to a consensus on the length of a deal. Now it appears as if there's no consensus at all.
Sounds like no further extension talks planned between #BlueJays & Encarnacion camp at present. 4 days left in spring training.
— Ben Nicholson-Smith (@bnicholsonsmith) March 30, 2016
It was reported last week that Toronto would likely be making a choice between Encarnacion and Jose Bautista, who is also slated to hit the open market after 2016. It was said that the team cannot afford more costly long-term contracts on the books with Russell Martin (owed $75 million through 2019) and Troy Tulowitzki (owed $98 million through 2020).
The team certainly cannot afford to lose both Encarnacion and Bautista, both of whom have been among the league's most prolific sluggers over the past few seasons. Both accounted for 79 of the team's 232 home runs and 225 of its 852 RBI in 2015, which accounted for the best offense in baseball.
Toronto is in a bad position because both Encarnacion and Bautista have been under bargain contracts during their tenure with the team and it'll be the first time both hit free agency, so they'll be looking to get paid. A number of other MLB clubs will be searching for power next offseason and these sluggers have a great opportunity to cash out during a week class of free agents following the 2016 season.
Although reports suggested Encarnacion was seeking a five-year deal, his agent, Paul Kinzer, said last week that such a claim was inaccurate and that they didn't even discuss a dollar amount with the team.
As for Bautista, it's been said the club is "willing to be much more flexible for him than Encarnacion both in terms of money and term," Jeff Blair of Sportsnet.ca reported.
At this point it seems as if Encarnacion is Plan B for the team, but that could change if Bautista refuses to lower his demands. Only time will tell, but right now Blue Jays fans should brace for both sluggers to hit free agency after the season.
