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#EDWIN ENCARNACION HOUSE FREE#

Jose Reyes, Jose Bautista, Edwin Encarnacion and Adam Lind each echoed the sentiment.

#EDWIN ENCARNACION HOUSE FREE#

Other priority areas for the Blue Jays this off-season are adding bullpen depth, some left-handed bats to balance out the order, and some speed on the basepaths.* The prevalent theme from Blue Jays players this weekend was a desire to land free agent pitcher Ervin Santana. Atkins said the team will likely exercise the option on reliever Jason Grilli's contract and added it's possible reliever Joe Biagini could become a starter next season.

Other prominent Blue Jays who could become free agents are relievers Brett Cecil and Joaquin Benoit. He had a strong first half but tailed off in the second half of the season. Whether the Blue Jays are keen to meet their contract demands is the great unknown.Ītkins also said the team is still working through a decision on whether to extend a qualifying offer to Canadian outfielder Michael Saunders. The Blue Jays also reached the ALCS last year before falling to the Kansas City Royals.Įncarnacion and Bautista have both expressed how much they have enjoyed playing in Toronto. The Cleveland Indians eliminated Toronto from the playoffs last week.

He just turned 36 and his arm and defensive range aren't what they used to be.īoth players have become so-called faces of the franchise in recent years and both played big roles in helping the Blue Jays end their 22-year playoff drought in 2015. The first baseman/designated hitter belted 42 homers - the fifth straight year he has cleared the 30-homer mark - and drove in 127 runs.īautista's numbers were down (22 homers, 69 RBIs) in an injury-plagued campaign. 'So we'll have to weigh that against our alternatives and what the opportunity cost would be.'Ī weaker crop of free agents could drive up the price even more.Įncarnacion is coming off a team option of $10 million - a huge bargain for the Blue Jays - while Bautista is coming off a $14-million option year.Įncarnacion, who turns 34 in January, is expected to really cash in. 'Ultimately those guys have had very good careers, have always hit right-handed and left-handed pitchers, have been a huge part of this organization's success, especially in the last couple of years. 'Everything has an opportunity cost and we'll have to weigh that if we're facing the decision to have both of them back and what that would mean,' Atkins said. With several heavy salaries already on the books for next year, a payroll increase would essentially be required to bring back either Bautista or Encarnacion and fill out the rest of the roster with quality players.

The Blue Jays had an active team payroll of about $137 million this season. The GM did not want to get too deep into specifics, but did say both Encarnacion and Bautista will 'be priorities.' 'I feel confident in saying that we'll have enough information to work towards something with both individuals.' 'What I can tell you is what we're planning for is a couple of different alternatives,' Atkins said. However, a player would likely have to be blown away by an offer to not test the free-agent market. It's also possible - though unlikely - that the team and player could agree on a new contract during the five-day window. After that, a player has a week to accept the qualifying offer to come back for another year or explore free agency.

#EDWIN ENCARNACION HOUSE SERIES#

The five-day window opens the day after the World Series ends. 'I can't see a scenario where that changes, really.'Įxtending a qualifying offer - worth US$17.2 million - ensures that the Blue Jays would receive compensation if a player signs with another team as a free agent. 'I think that's what drives us, that's what motivates us and that's what we're looking to do in any way possible. 'What I can tell you is that we're trying to win and we're going to continue to try to win,' Atkins said. The first step for the front office is finalizing an off-season plan that will be taken to the team owners, general manager Ross Atkins said Monday during a season-ending media availability.įrom there, they'll have a better idea on payroll flexibility and can really focus on addressing roster needs for the 2017 season. Whether they'll be back in Toronto still remains as uncertain as it did when the club was eliminated from the playoffs last week. TORONTO - At the very least, sluggers Jose Bautista and Edwin Encarnacion are expected to receive qualifying offers from the Blue Jays.

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