Elliott: Edwin Encarnacion Has a Two-Year Offer from the Blue Jays

The clock continues to count down on Edwin Encarnacion’s self-imposed Opening Day deadline for contract negotiations. Depending on which side you speak to, contract talks aren’t exactly progressing well between both parties.

Ross Atkins was adamant the club continues to have dialogue with Encarnacion’s camp. However, reports emanating from his camp suggest that the Blue Jays may have low-balled an offer to Edwin Encarnacion.

Bob Elliott followed up on a piece from earlier this week in the Toronto Sun, in which he’s heard the Blue Jays only offered Edwin Encarnacion a one-year deal.

After speaking with both Jose Bautista and Encarnacion on their pending free agency, Elliott unearthed more evidence of an offer on the table for Edwin Encarnacion. But it’s much, much less than anyone could have imagined.

“Encarnacion has been offered a two-year deal. We’re told that the Jays did not attach a dollar figure asking Encarnacion to submit a starting point.”

Leaving the offer open-ended on dollars is understandable, because by leaving it blank, the Blue Jays can avoid insulting Edwin Encarnacion with their own figure. But if you’re Edwin Encarnacion, would you not be insulted by only a two-year offer from the Blue Jays?

Unless there are some sort of vesting options or club options built into that contract offer, I highly doubt Edwin Encarnacion’s camp would even bother entertaining that offer. The Blue Jays could get away with tabling a high AAV deal, but as Jose Bautista can attest to, it’s the years of security that are a sticking point … not the dollars.

Or maybe this is all part of the Blue Jays’ plan to eventually meet in the middle at three or possibly even four years for Encarnacion. But if club really did begin by offering Edwin only one or two years, it has the potential to do more harm than good.

Image via Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP