Cleveland Sports Forum

here's a 2014 scouting report, suggesting upside of a 6th inning reliever. His pitches are graded:

FB 55 55 91-94 95 gets on top with okay downhill plane; little late arm-side movement; commands the strikezone well and uses all 4 quadrants effectively.
SL 55 55 81-83 84 short, tight breaker; good tilt; commanded to glove side and arm-side really well; worked all 4 quadrants and threw for strike in any count; also threw as a chase pitch.


October 2016 BA NYY prospects chat a passing reference:

Josh Norris: I’m certainly not banishing Luis Severino to the bullpen at this point. Not at 23 years old. I think Dillon Tate belongs among that reliever prospect discussion, as well as Jonathan Holder (but I wouldn’t be surprised if the moved Holder to the rotation this year given that he has four pitches) and Nick Rumbelow and Nick Goody and Branden Pinder (all still prospect-eligible) Jacob Lindgren is still lurking somewhere once he gets healthy too.

Still has a very valuable option left.

Jon Heyman ‏@JonHeyman
21 hours ago

2 teams said getting aggressive in encarnacion derby. indians said "pulling out all the stops."

Cleveland Indians Actively Pursuing Edwin Encarnacion
by Kevin Haswell38 minutes agoFollow @KevinRHaswell



The Cleveland Indians are reportedly hoping to provide a powerful boost to their lineup with free agent slugger Edwin Encarnacion.

The Cleveland Indians, after claiming the American League pennant last season, are looking to get even better next year. According to Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports, the Indians are “pulling out all the stops” to sign designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion. The Indians are one of at least five teams to offer Encarnacion at least a three- or four-year deal. His agent said this in an interview with FanRag Sports on Wednesday. Most executives around the league believe that the Indians signing Encarnacion is a long shot as they probably can’t afford him.

2 teams said getting aggressive in encarnacion derby. indians said "pulling out all the stops."
https://t.co/wVCiala9W5

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 21, 2016


Encarnacion’s agent said earlier this week that they have ruled out re-signing with the Toronto Blue Jays. It has not been reported the amount of money that the Blue Jays offered him, but it obviously was not enough. The Blue Jays have moved on to other options for DH next year and Encarnacion is most likely going to the highest bidder. Paul Kinzer, Encarnacion’s agent, did not say who was the second team bidding on Encarnacion.


Encarnacion, 33, had another terrific season with the Toronto Blue Jays last year. In 702 plate appearances in 2016, he hit .263/.357/.529 with 42 home runs and 127 RBI. Although those were high numbers, Encarnacion’s OPS was his lowest since the 2011 season with a .886 mark. The 127 RBI were a career high for the designated hitter and the 42 home runs were tied for his best mark.

The Indians are likely losing their designated hitter from last season, Mike Napoli, in free agency. Since the Indians lost in Game 7 of the World Series, they have been looking for a better replacement for Napoli. Encarnacion would be exactly the answer. Encarnacion hits for a better average, better OPS, and hits more home runs while driving in more runs. The best move that the Indians can make this offseason is to sign Encarnacion to a long-term deal. He won’t be a cheap get, but he will be well worth it for at least the next three or four seasons.


The Indians were 19th in MLB last season in home runs, with 185 home runs in 162 games. Even worse, that mark set them at 10th in the American League. Adding Encarnacion would help that number tremendously. The Indians pitched very well last year but they need some help from their lineup. The Indians are doing exactly what they need to do in “pulling out all the stops” to sign Encarnacion, but will the free agent slugger sign with the team? Only time will tell.

If they're in heavy competition I doubt they'll win it, depending I guess on just what "stops" they are "pulling out".

Sounds like we are readying our final look good offer. Wonder who is going to swipe this guy from us?

The guys 33 years old. I hate giving out long term contracts to guys like Encarnacion. I'm ok with a one or two year deal, but not four years or more.

YANKEES

Proposal: Quintana for OF Clint Frazier (No. 1 prospect), RHP Dillon Tate (No. 11), OF Mason Williams (No. 22), 2B Nick Solak

• Yankees' Top 30 Prospects list

While this is drawn up as a 4-for-1 trade, Frazier is the only elite prospect in the deal (No. 15 in MLB). The Yankees landed Frazier and stud left-hander Justus Sheffield from the Indians for Andrew Miller, and don't want to give up Frazier. But if they did, they would get four years of Quintana.

KEN: If we don't get EE, maybe we can get this guy?

http://nesn.com/2016/12/manny-ramirez-c ... -overseas/

joez wrote:The guys 33 years old. I hate giving out long term contracts to guys like Encarnacion. I'm ok with a one or two year deal, but not four years or more.

Neither do the Indians, which could hurt our chances.

Reports are we have signed Encarnacion!!

3 years 60 mill.

There ya go, Tribe! We have a window the next few years. Go for it!!

Ken Rosenthal ‏@Ken_Rosenthal 5 minutes ago
Source confirms: Encarnacion to #Indians, three years, $60M plus option. First reported: @JeffPassan and @JonHeyman.

Wow. A top 5 hitter in the league.

If Brantley comes back the offense is light years ahead and it wasn't bad as it was!

Even better he's right handed!

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, $65 million contract with the Cleveland Indians, per Jon Heyman of Fan Rag Sports and Jeff Passan of Yahoo.

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.