Indians Reportedly Land Free Agent Slugger Edwin Encarnacion

Edwin Encarnacion has agreed to a three-year, $60 million deal with the Cleveland Indians.

After getting burned by the free agent signings of Nick Swisher and Michael Bourn in 2013, the Indians said they could no longer play in the free agent market with the big boys.

Encarnacion, 33, will play first base and DH for the Tribe.

Encarnacion, who turns 34 on January 7, played 75 games at first base and 86 at DH a year ago for the Blue Jays. His 210 home runs during that span lead all Major League Baseball hitters, and his 141 wRC+ ranks 11th among qualified hitters. Free-agent contracts have skyrocketed as new cable deals have poured money into the game. In his first seven seasons Encarnacion was not once worth two wins above replacement; in his last five seasons Encarnacion was not once worth less than 3.5 wins above replacement.

Despite putting up another quality year of power numbers in Toronto, his strikeout rate reached the highest it has been since his rookie season in 2005 with the Cincinnati Reds (25.6%), as it ballooned from 15.7% to 19.7%.

And it makes life more hard for teams such as the Yankees, who signed Matt Holliday to a one-year deal worth $12 million this month. Encarnacion had previously posted an OPS of.900 or better in every season since 2012. Two years ago, the Tigers re-signed a soon-to-be 37-year-old Victor Martinez to a four-year contract worth $68 million.

Last season, Encarnacion would have led the Indians in: home runs, RBIs, slugging percentage, extra-base hits and total bases. There was a lot of pressure on the Indians front office to make a splash after coming so close to winning the World Series, and the team has responded resoundingly. To get to the ALCS, the Blue Jays first knocked off the Baltimore Orioles in the American League Wild Card Games, one that will forever be linked to Encarnacion.

Edwin made it to the mid-summer classic in 2013, 2014, and 2016.

The Athletics, Rangers, Rockies, Astros and Yankees were also linked to Encarnacion once it became clear that he would not return to Toronto.