![]() The White Sox preference would be to add a right-handed masher to a batting order that still leans too right-handed but Puig provides moderate reverse splits that hits RHP pitcher better than LHP’s. ![]() Puig would provide much more athleticism and defensive acumen than Jimenez in LF along with having a strong arm that could see him spell Eaton in RF. Interestingly enough, the White Sox may yet be one of his better options for 2021 with some remaining uncertainty with their own designated hitter role to open the season along with the notion of having a more versatile option like Puig available in order to get defensively challenged and injury prone slugger Eloy Jimenez less time out on the grass and more as a DH. He simply needs to lower his monetary expectations after not having played in 2020 along with some of the ‘baggage’ he has accumulated over the course of his career. Unlike EE, Puig doesn’t need to rely on a universal DH to increase his chances of signing a free agent contract. Like Encarnacion, Puig is still waiting for a call from an MLB team as I post, famously now having the same agent in Rachel Luba who negotiated Trevor Bauer’s recent contract with the Dodgers. Grandal’s endorsement was of particular interest since he was a teammate of Puig with the Dodgers for 4 years from 2015-2018. They had reportedly also vetted Puig with fellow Cubans Jose Abreu and Yasmani Grandal who had each recently signed free agent contract with the White Sox. Had that occurred in Chicago it likely would have just put him on the IL along with Yoan Moncada and Jose Ruiz who also tested positive, along with Mazara who reportedly had a bad case case of strep throat which basically ruined his 2020 season.įor those unaware, the White Sox were in serious conversation with Puig and his representatives at last offseasons Winter Meetings and were said to be impressed with him. This is all speculative, revisionist history, one that also saw Puig test positive for COVID-19 after agreeing to a later summer contract with the Braves at their Intake Screening that nullified the deal. Since Puig was likely signing a 2+ year contract last winter the White Sox might have also passed on re-signing RF Adam Eaton this past offseason. If the White Sox had signed RF Yasiel Puig last offseason rather than traded for RF Nomar Mazara and/or signed DH Edwin Encarnacion, they might have finished the 2020 season in first place, advanced further in the postseason and still have Rick Renteria as their manager. Speculatively speaking, the A’s at least represent an on-paper fit for a low-cost roll of the dice after dealing Khris Davis earlier this month. It may take a spring rebound as a non-roster invitee to earn his way back for a 17th big league season, although injuries in camp could always open a more solid opportunity. 268 last year as his exit velocity fell to near the bottom of the league (85.4 mph) and his strikeout rate soared to 29.8 percent. 372 expected weighted on-base average in 2019, but that figure plummeted to. It may be too soon to write Encarnacion off as a result of the struggles he endured over a small sample of work in 2020, though it’s worth pointing out he also had an awful year by Statcast’s standards as well. That was Encarnacion’s eighth straight season with both 30-plus homers and terrific overall offensive production. 287 ISO in 486 PA between the Mariners and Yankees. ![]() He’s also just two years removed from recording a line of. 157/.250/.377 in 181 plate appearances, though Encarnacion did continue to show off above-average power (10 home runs. Either way, considering how his 2020 went, it would be difficult to imagine any team guaranteeing an everyday role to Encarnacion. Indeed, the lack of a DH in the NL would lead to fewer potential suitors for Encarnacion. ![]() “I want a team to give me the opportunity to play daily to show that I can still produce.” “The decision that there will be no universal DH in the 2021 season has greatly affected my chances of signing,” Encarnacion said. If there’s no universal DH in 2021, it would further hurt Encarnacion’s cause, as he acknowledged to Hector Gomez of Z Sports 101 in the Dominican Republic. Encarnacion wants to play two more seasons, but as a defensively limited 38-year-old coming off a brutal campaign with the White Sox, it’s possible no team will sign him this year. Although free-agent designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion is one of baseball’s most prolific sluggers over the past several years, there is no guarantee he will suit up in the majors again.
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