Cleveland.com Reports That
The Indians are negotiation with free agent slugger Edwin Encarnacion about a multiyear deal.
The deal might not happen. It might fall apart in the days to come, but right now things are serious.
Encarnacion reportedly turned down an estimated four-year $80 million offer to stay with the Toronto Blue Jays. The Blue Jays have since added free agents Kendrys Morales on a three-year $33 million contract and Steve Pearce on two-year $12.5 million deal.
So Encarncacion isn't flying back to Toronto.
Last season Encarnacion hit .263 (158-for-702) with 42 homers and an AL-leading 127 RBI. But right now his market is shrinking.
Sources: #Indians indeed reached out to Encarnacion, as @hoynsie said, but serious questions remain about whether CLE will meet EEs price.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 6, 2016
From MLB.com The Indians have checked in on Encarnacion, reports Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Cleveland definitely has a need at first base with Mike Napoli hitting free agency, and Encarnacion could split time there and at DH with Carlos Santana. However, financial constraints are always a factor for the Indians, and while they’re coming off a deep World Series run, spending at the likely levels that are necessary to sign Encarnacion would represent a significant departure from past tendencies for Cleveland.