Mariners Opening Day Should Feature Edwin Encarnacion

A very belated Happy New Year to you all, Mariner nation. After acquiring Edwin Encarnacion from the Tribe in December, multiple rumors swirled around the Mariners immediately trading him elsewhere. His Emerald City landing stop appeared to occur solely to make that three-way trade alongside the Indians and Rays.

While exploring the downtown Seattle Mariners team store, I found myself asking the employee if they had any in-stock Encarnacion t-shirts. After expecting him to answer my question with anything but a straight face, he said they didn’t have them. Shortly after, another customer intervenes and says, “We’ll probably trade him within the next week, .”

Well, folks, that was early mid-December. Did a part of me think that fan was right? Certainly. Could he still be before Opening Day unravels on March 28th? It’s sounded very likely since the day he became a Mariner. But if Encarnacion hasn’t been sent away almost a month-and-a-half later, maybe he’s here to stay, at least on a short-term basis. And why not either?

If the 2019 Mariners stick to track record, they will find themselves out of the pennant race by June or July. In that case, there is no question Encarnacion will be trade bait. And if the Mariners really overachieve, they may still be in the race by midseason. If that occurs, let him finish out the year a Mariner.

Don’t forget that in many seasons, the Mariners find some way to hang around the pennant race. Rebuild or not, there is always a chance to contend. Old-school Marlins teams, you’re coming to mind here.

There would be some upside into letting Encarnacion actually put on a Mariners jersey. With the sluggers the team has lost, they would at least have gained one for the interim. Someone to give the very youthful surrounding cast confidence. Someone who has been a cleanup hitter for past contenders and could be a mentor to the new baby Mariners.

Someone to draw bottoms into the seats with his home runs. Someone who is an aggressive enough hitter to have hit a game-winning, walk-off against the Orioles in the 2016 AL Wild Card, on the first pitch!

Skeptics may say, how could Edwin do well for the Mariners if he never found it with the Tribe? You know, sometimes a guy just doesn’t work out for his new team. It’s not always the pressure of a multi-year contract but sometimes team chemistry. Edwin may have simply not fit in Cleveland. He wouldn’t be the first free agent splash to disappoint expectations.

But his circumstance would be different as a Mariner. When Cleveland signed him, they came right off a World Series loss and he was their statement signing to go for the win in 2017. With this Mariners team, expectations are a little simmered down.

He’d instead be the star cleanup hitter for a team who is prioritizing future talent over an immediate playoff berth. His current team is just trying to finish over .500 versus going for another pennant.

And guess what fans? The Mariners landed a slugger on the cheap. He is not an investment who is eating into the Mariners’ dough the way Cano was. If he AND the team hang in there around deadline time, take a chance and keep him. If they’re out of the race before they can say “T-Mobile Park”, trade him to a contender and add to the farm system.

If he is traded midseason, at least he can have “Cliff Lee Syndrome” by playing at an All-Star level for his half-season Mariners tenure. Even though Cliff was barely in Seattle, he was sure exciting while he lasted. Encarnacion has the potential to have that same effect.