NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Toronto Blue Jays first baseman/DH Edwin Encarnacion, one of baseball's premier power hitters, has told the Blue Jays' management that he will end contract extension talks by Opening Day if he is unable to reach a multiyear agreement with the team by the end of spring training.
Paul Kinzer, Encarnacion's agent, said he conveyed the slugger's sentiments to club president Mark Shapiro, general manager Ross Atkins and senior vice president of baseball operations Tony LaCava in a meeting at the Opryland hotel Monday.
"Edwin loves Toronto,'' Kinzer said. "But he doesn't want this to drag into the season. He doesn't want it to be a distraction.''
Encarnacion, 32, hit 39 homers, drove in 111 runs and finished 12th in the American League MVP voting in 2015. Since the start of the 2012 season, he ranks second in the majors to Chris Davis in home runs (151) and second to Miguel Cabrera in RBIs (423). Encarnacion's .549 slugging percentage is fifth among MLB hitters in that span.
The Blue Jays, who led the majors with 891 runs and a .797 team OPS in 2015, could have two major lineup holes to fill next winter. All-Star right fielder Jose Bautista is in the final year of his contract and will be eligible for free agency after the 2016 season. Both Bautista and Encarnacion have been speculatively mentioned as potential successors to David Ortiz when Boston's long-time DH retires after this season.
Encarnacion was previously on the verge of free agency when the Blue Jays locked him up with a three-year, $29 million contract with a club option during the 2012 All-Star break.