Indians sign free agent Edwin Encarnación to a three-year contract

The Cleveland Indians officially announced the signing of free agent 1B/DH Edwin Encarnacion (#10) to a three-year Major League contract with a club option for the 2020 season on Thursday, and the designation LHP Edwin Escobar for assignment.

Encarnación, 33, has split his professional career between the Cincinnati Reds and Toronto Blue Jays, compiling a 12-year Major League career average of .266 (1439-5409) with 311 doubles, 310 home runs and 942 RBI in 1513 games. He is a three-time American League All-Star selection (2013-14, '16) and over the last five seasons since 2012 he has averaged 90 runs, 29 doubles, 39 home runs and 110 RBI per campaign. He is second in Major League Baseball over that five-year span in homers (193) and RBI (550) and is the only MLB player with at least 30 home runs over each of those seasons and the only player with 30HR/100 RBI in four of the last five seasons.

He recently completed his eighth season in Toronto in 2016, batting .263 (158-601) with 34 doubles, 42 home runs and 127 RBI in 160 games. He collected single-season career-bests in hits (158), runs (99), extra-base hits (76), RBI (127) and total bases (318) and equaled his career-best in home runs (42). He finished tied for first in the American League in RBI (with David Ortiz), tied for third in home runs, sixth in extra-base hits and 10th in OPS. The 127-RBI marked the fifth-highest single season total in Blue Jays history as he finished his Toronto career third in career home runs (239) and sixth in RBI (679) in franchise history. He will donate $100,000 annually during the life of the contract that will be split between Cleveland and Dominican-based organizations.

Indians sign free-agent 1B Edwin Encarnacion to 3-year, $65 million deal

The Cleveland Indians announced on Thursday that they signed free-agent 1B Edwin Encarnacion to a three-year, $65 million deal.

In 2016 with the Toronto Blue Jays, Encarnacion ranked tied for 2nd in the majors with 127-RBI and tied for 3rd with 42-HR. His 127 RBI are a career-high & 5th most in Blue Jays club history and the most since Carlos Delgado had a franchise high 145 in 2003. His 42-HR matches his career best (2nd time, last 2012) and are tied for 6th highest in a season in team history. In fact, the last time a Jay hit that many HR was Edwin in 2012.

76 of his career high 158 hits this season have gone for XBH (34-2B, 42-HR). Against LHPs, Encarnacion has 15 XBH out of 28 total hits (53.6%). On Sep. 20 at the Mariners, he hit his 42nd HR of the season, matching his career high (2012).