While the Toronto Blue Jays have a promising season ahead of them, it's hard to say what lies ahead for 2017. Their window to sign slugger Edwin Encarnacion to a contract extension has passed and it doesn't appear as if it will be easy for them to come to an agreement during the season.
Encarnacion set an Opening Day deadline for extension talks because he did not want to be distracted as the team hopes to make the postseason for the second straight year. He made that clear yesterday before the Blue Jays took on the Tampa Bay Rays.
"That's why I wanted to do it the way I did it, because after today, I don't want to talk anymore or anything like that," he said. "I just want to focus on my game and focus on my team and focus on winning games."
He added: "If they were going to do something, I was ready. I know I want to stay here, I'd love to stay here, but it's not my decision, it's not something I can control. I'm going to focus on my season and see what's coming."
Rumors suggested the two sides were apart regarding the length of the contract, but Encarnacion's agent came out and said he did not "put a number" on such terms and didn't even discuss a dollar amount. Encarnacion is finishing up a four-year, $37 million deal he signed during the 2012 season. The Jays picked up his $10 million club option this offseason.
Information regarding these contract talks has been scant and it's unknown what exactly the slugger is seeking in terms of years and money, although he told Marley Rivera of ESPN in mid-March that he's looking to maximize the number of years in his next deal.
The 33-year-old has been one of the most prolific power hitters in baseball over the past four seasons and has scored 352 runs, smacked 151 home runs and batted in 423 runs over that span. He played in only five spring training games this year due to an abscessed tooth and a strained oblique, but he went 2 for 4 with a run scored and two RBIs yesterday in the team's 5-3 win over the Rays.
If Encarnacion is serious about abandoning talks during the season, the Blue Jays will find themselves in a tough position as nine of their players are slated for free agency after this year - and one of the other ones is Jose Bautista.
