Blue Jays Re-Acquire Edwin Encarnacion

Well, Alex Anthopolous is a man of his word. He said he was looking for a 1B/DH type who could give the team some flexibility and he's done just that. Can't say I saw this coming, though. In a surprise move, the Jays have re-signed third-baseman Edwin Encarnacion to a 1-year $2.5M contract to the be team's 1B/DH. The contract includes a club option at $3.5M the following year.

As much as I hated watching EE airmail throws, trot down the first base line and disappear for weeks at a time at the plate, I don't necessarily hate this pickup. Aside from his 21 homeruns last year, his numbers in Toronto have been nothing short of a shit show. His slash line last year was .244/.305./482 and the year before that .240/.306/.442. But he isn't that far removed from his most productive years while in Cincinnati where in 2008 he hit .251/.340/.466 with 26 HR. I'd take that any day for $2.5M.

Then there's his glove, which obviously leaves much to be desired as his career -11.5 UZR/150 can attest, but as any Jays fan can tell you, the majority of his defensive shittiness resides in throwing, so having him at 1B or DH takes that negative out of the equation. Although, I can't imagine that he won't be shuffled over to third base at some point during the season for a few spot starts, and on those days it should be fun painful to see him make Adam Lind earn his paycheck at 1B.

The other thing I want to touch on is now teams and fans seem to be under the impression that 1B is a black hole where they can hide terrible defensive players. I get that Overbay's time in Toronto had run its course, and it was a time for change, but I have a feeling all those "fans" who felt it was their obligation to call the Fan590 and voice their displeasure towards Overbay ever so eloquently will be wishing he was still around when we have the dynamic duo of Adam Lind and Edwin Encarnacion manning the cold corner.

So what does this mean for the rest of the offseason in Blue Jay land? Well, if AA is telling the truth and plans to play EE at 1B/DH and isn't just using this as a bargaining tactic, it's safe to assume the Derek Lee rumours will now end. There's no place for him now. Same goes for Manny Ramirez. There is, however, a hole at third base (or in the the outfield if Bautista is moved to third) that the team will have to address. I don't usually advocate bringing up prospects prematurely as it can not only damage the player's confidence but it also wastes a year of eligibility on a season where the team doesn't figure to compete for a playoff spot. However, I don't think the Blue Jays' shinny new prospect is lacking in confidence (if anything he could use being knocked down a peg), and if you think this team is aiming to to truly compete in 2012 why not start developing the team's top position prospect at the major league level now? Just a thought...