Fansided

MLB Winter Meetings: Five biggest losers

By Joshua Sadlock

CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 14: Edwin Encarnacion
CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 14: Edwin Encarnacion /
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Oct 19, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Edwin Encarnacion (10) reacts to striking out during the ninth inning against the Cleveland Indians in game five of the 2016 ALCS playoff baseball series at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 19, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Edwin Encarnacion (10) reacts to striking out during the ninth inning against the Cleveland Indians in game five of the 2016 ALCS playoff baseball series at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports /

4. Edwin Encarnacion

It may be hard for casual baseball fans to label someone who is still in line to receive over $60 million a loser, but this offseason is not going at all according to Edwin Encarnacion’s plan. The 1B/DH had to have expected suitors would line up after he turned down a four-year, $80 million offer from the Toronto Blue Jays. The biggest shocker is that the Red Sox are not interested in Encarnacion to replace David Ortiz at DH.

Entering his age-34 season, this is Encarnacion’s one chance to cash in big as a free agent. He has massively outperformed his team-friendly contract extension in Toronto. Over the past five years, Encarnacion has averaged 44 home runs and 123 RBIs per 162 games while making three All-Star teams and slashing .272/.367/.544. As a hitter, he does not profile as the type that will experience a steep drop in production as the years pile on. Encarnacion struck out over 100 times in 2016 for the first time since 2008, and he has an excellent batting eye.

Teams around the league have shown an increasing uneasiness about signing first-base/DH types to massive contracts in their mid-30s. Jose Bautista and Mark Trumbo are also finding similar difficulty in landing their next big contract. A glut of cheaper power options available on the market like Pedro Alvarez and Chris Carter has also served to reduce the leverage of the bigger name free agents. Eventually, Encarnacion will find his next home, but he will be forced to settle for a far lesser contract than he expected.

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