The White Sox signaled that they are even more serious about being contenders as they have signed slugger Edwin Encarnacion. The deal is said to be a one-year, $12 million contract with a club option for 2021 at $12 million. Encarnacion is expected to be the every day designated hitter and probably would play first base on occasion.
Encarnacion hit .244/.344/.531 with 34 homers and 86 RBIs in just 109 games for the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians, but his advanced metrics showed that he is still valuable as he had a 129 wRC+. Encarnacion has been an incredible slugger for four teams as he got his career started with the Cincinnati Reds, but it took off when he joined the Toronto Blue Jays where he became prolific with his bat. With Toronto, he slugged 239 home runs and drove in 679 runs, and for his career he has hit 414 home runs and driven in 1,242 runs. Encarnacion has spent time with the Cleveland Indians, New York Yankees, and Seattle Mariners. He will be 37 in June.
While Encarnacion is not quite same player he once was, he still can hit well and provide some solid production, something the Sox lacked at designated hitter in 2019. He is expected to be the everyday DH as well as backup first baseman to Jose Abreu. This also means that James McCann will be relegated to backup catcher primarily. It could also mean that Zack Collins starts the season in AAA, but that will be determined after Spring Training as the team will have to decide what to do with the 26th roster spot, a new rule coming in 2020.
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