Edwin Encarnacion Could Return to Blue Jays After Yankees Declined His Option

First baseman and designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion could be returning to the team where he spent most of his MLB career.

That's right, Encarnacion and the Toronto Blue Jays reportedly have mutual interest in a potential reunion.

The report comes from Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith. The timing would be good considering the New York Yankees declined Encarnacion's 2020 option, and the Blue Jays lost first baseman Justin Smoak to the Milwaukee Brewers in free agency.

Encarnacion hit 34 home runs and 86 RBI with the Seattle Mariners and the Yankees in 2019, yet his lackluster postseason performance contributed in the Yankees' decision to decline his option.

Encarnacion played the better part of eight seasons in Toronto while making three All-Star teams and leading the Jays to consecutive ALCS appearances in 2015 and 2016. He hit 239 of his 414 home runs and hammered 679 of his 1,242 RBI in a Blue Jay uniform. Also of note, if he were to put on the uniform again, his first game back would be his 1,000th with Toronto.

Encarnacion could also contribute in the clubhouse, with young stars like Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero, Jr. showing great signs of development, and the Blue Jays potentially becoming a contender again soon.