WIth the New York Yankees set to get back Sluggers Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, it did not stop them from adding another bat to the lineup. On Saturday the Yankees added 1B/DH Edwin Encarnacion from the Seattle Mariners for right-hander Juan Then. Then is the 27th rank prospect in MLB.
In 11 starts last season in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League, Then went 0-3 with 2.70 ERA, striking out 24 batters in 50 innings. Also, he had a league-leading 0.98 WHIP. Hitters only batted .210 against Then. The young pitching prospect features a low to mid 90s fastball, changeup, and curveball.
As part of the deal, The Mariners will pickup about half the money owed on his contract. He is owed 15 million dollars in salary.
Edwin Encarnacion leads the American League in home runs with 21. Adding Encarnacion gives the Yankees another powerful bat to the lineup. When fully healthy the Yankees line up could look like this:
- DJ LeMahieu 3B
- Aaron Judge RF
- Giancarlo Stanton LF
- Gary Sanchez C
- Luke Voit 1B
- Edwin Encarnacion DH
- Gleyber Torres 2B
- Didi Gregorius SS
- Aaron Hick CF
Encarnacion comes back to the American League East where he did most of his damage with the Toronto Blue Jays. He has a career-high of 401 home runs and 284 of them came since 2012. The former Blue Jays star has hit 30 home runs in the last eight seasons.
In eight seasons in the American League East with the Blue Jays, Encarnacion crushed 239 home runs. He hit a career-high 42 home runs in 2012 and 2016. He has a career batting average of.263 to go along with his power numbers.
I like this trade for the Yankees you can never have too many bats. Encarnacion brings added protection for Judge, Stanton, and Sanchez. While i like the trade, the Yankees should be focusing on bringing in more starting pitching, to help them win a World Series.
