It took a little longer than expected, but first baseman and designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion found a new home, reportedly agreeing to terms on a 3-year, $60 million contract with the Cleveland Indians, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag Sports and Jeff Passan of Yahoo.
Edwin Encarnacion signs 3-year deal with Indians, per reports
Slugger has averaged 39 home runs in the last 5 seasons
Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
The contract includes an option for a fourth year, per Heyman.
Encarnacion hit .263/.357/.529 with 42 doubles, 34 doubles and an American-League-leading 127 RBI for the Toronto Blue Jays in 2016, playing in a career-high 160 games.
The right-hander boosted his stock during the postseason by hitting .286/.359/.571 with three home runs and nine RBI in nine games for Toronto, including a three-run, walk-off home run in the 11th inning to beat the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Wild Card game.
The three-time All-Star, who turns 34 in January, has hit at least 34 home runs for five straight seasons. He ranks second in the majors from 2012-16 with 193 home runs, just four behind Baltimore Orioles slugger Chris Davis. During that same span, Encarnacion has 550 RBI, second in MLB only to Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera.
From 2012-16, Encarnacion hit .272/.367/.544, a 146 OPS+, averaging 39 home runs, 29 doubles, 110 RBI, 90 runs scored, and 78 walks per season.
He joins the defending American League pennant winners, who came within one game of winning the World Series in 2016. Cleveland split first base and DH last year between Mike Napoli (98 starts at first base, 51 starts at DH) and Carlos Santana (62 starts at 1B, 92 starts at DH). Santana remains with the Indians while Napoli, who hit .239/.335/.465 with 34 home runs in 150 games in 2016, is a free agent.
Encarnacion declined a qualifying offer from Toronto, meaning that the Indians will forfeit their first-round draft pick, 25th overall, for signing him. The Blue Jays will receive a compensatory pick between the first and second rounds.
Encarnacion earned $10 million in 2016 in the final season of a contract extension he signed with Toronto way back in 2012.
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