Bautista, Encarnacion may be done with Blue Jays, here's where they could land
The Blue Jays were eliminated from the postseason in Game 5 of the ALCS on Wednesday
By
Mike Axisa
•
4 min read
TORONTO -- Wednesday afternoon at Rogers Centre, the 2016 Blue Jays season came to an unceremonious end with a loss to the Indians in Game 5 of the best-of-seven ALCS (CLE 3, TOR 0). Toronto is the first team to lose the ALCS in back-to-back years since the Mariners in 2000 and 2001.
"This group's come a long way," said Blue Jays manager John Gibbons after Game 5. "We were staring at a playoff drought for a lot of years around here, and they came through for the team last year, the organization. And then repeated it this year."
The Blue Jays now enter one of the most important offseasons in franchise history. Two of their best and most beloved players, right fielder Jose Bautista and first baseman Edwin Encarnacion, will become free agents. They'll be two of the best hitters available, if not the two best.
"To be honest, (I was) really sad," said Encarnacion when asked about his emotions during his final at-bat in the ninth inning of Game 5. "I don't know what's going to happen next."
Understandably, neither player wanted to discuss the possibility of re-signing with the Blue Jays -- "I don't think it's the right time to talk about that," said Bautista -- so soon after the Game 5 loss. They're still processing the ALCS and trying to figure out how such a good all-around team fell flat.
Both Bautista and Encarnacion remain very productive players and of course they're fan favorites. Those are reasons the Blue Jays should re-sign them. At the same time, both are on the wrong side of 30 -- Bautista turned 36 on Wednesday -- and are limited defensively. Committing big money to them may be unwise.
Of course, some team is going to give Bautista and Encarnacion big money this winter. Probably not the same team, but you never know. Some are better positioned to do so than others. Here's a quick list of potential landing spots:
Houston Astros
The outfield is fairly full, but first base was a huge problem all season. Enough to spend big on someone like Encarnacion? Possibly, since Houston is ostensibly reason to take that next step towards perennial contention.
Seattle Mariners
Could you imagine adding Bautista or Encarnacion to Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz, and Kyle Seager? Gosh. It's doable, as long as they're willing to spend the money.
Baltimore Orioles
Mark Trumbo is a free agent, so the need for another big bat is pretty obvious. They have the flexibility to sign a new right fielder, first baseman, or DH too.
Texas Rangers
A neck injury forced Prince Fielder into retirement and first baseman Mitch Moreland will be a free agent. There's room for a new first baseman or DH even with Joey Gallo coming.
Boston Red Sox
David Ortiz has retired and the DH spot is wide open. They also have the option of moving Hanley Ramirez to DH and opening up playing time at first base.
Chicago White Sox
The window is as open as it's going to get with Chris Sale, Jose Quintana, and Jose Abreu in their primes, plus they have an opening at DH. Justin Morneau did a nice job there late in the season.
New York Yankees
They have internal candidates at DH (Brian McCann), first base (Greg Bird), and right field (Aaron Judge), but they've never been known to shy away from big money free agents. The need for more offense is obvious.
Possible NL Landing Spots
Other teams could certainly be in the mix for either Bautista or Encarnacion, but those seven jumped to mind immediately. I even wonder if an NL team ready to win right now, like, say, the Nationals or Mets or Giants, would jump into the mix even without the DH available. We'll see.
The Blue Jays, on the other hand, have to figure out where they go from here. They're ready to win right now, while Josh Donaldson and Troy Tulowitzki are in their primes, and while their top four starters (Marco Estrada, J.A. Happ, Aaron Sanchez, Marcus Stroman) are all healthy and pitching well. If they let Bautista and/or Encarnacion walk, they'll have to replace the lost offense somehow.
"I think they really helped put this team back on the map again, what they've accomplished," said Gibbons. "But baseball is still a business. It's a game we play, but it's still a big business and guys earn the right to try free agency, what have you. They both love it here, but it's still a business ... I'm proud of those guys and you hope they're back."
For now, the Blue Jays and the front office will spend the next few weeks picking up the pieces following their second straight ALCS loss, and figure out how to put this team in the best position to succeed going forward. Does that plan involve both Bautista and Encarnacion? That seems unlikely at this point.
