Report: Blue Jays' offer to Encarnacion had potential to reach $100M

Edwin Encarnacion could've been richer in Toronto.

In a Friday interview on "Tim & Sid," Sportsnet's Shi Davidi revealed that the Toronto Blue Jays' initial four-year, $80-million offer to the slugger had the potential to include a fifth-year option worth an additional $20 million.

"An interesting thing that I've learned (Friday), is that the four-(year) at 80-million offer that the Blue Jays tabled to Encarnacion at the beginning of November could've included a variety of different options for a fifth year that would've ultimately brought the total value of the contract up to $20 million if that option had been accepted," Davidi said.

On Thursday, Encarnacion accepted a three-year, $60-million deal with the Cleveland Indians, with an option for an extra year at $20 million. His contract in Cleveland can max out at $80 million, but if he stayed in Toronto he could've potentially maxed out at five years and $100 million.

When Davidi was asked if there was anyone to blame, he didn't put the onus on one particular party, but instead, he said the blame should be spread out for Encarnacion's messy departure from the Blue Jays.

"This is on everyone, ultimately," he said. "You can argue that the different strategies everyone could've employed could've been different. The team (Toronto) that made the highest bid, which happened to be the one that the player wanted to go to, didn't get the player, and the player didn't get the money.

"That's on everybody, because the offer was right, the money was right, the term was right and because of timing, because of circumstances, because the way that the market played out, the two sides didn't come together."

So, what happened?

Instead of waiting on Encarnacion, the Blue Jays moved on quickly, signing veteran slugger Kendrys Morales to a three-year, $33-million deal.

A month later, the Blue Jays inked outfielder Steve Pearce to a two-year, $12.5-million contract, all but shutting the door on the potential of retaining Encarnacion.

Davidi went on to say that it all came down to two agendas: the Blue Jays made it clear they wanted a quick resolution, while Encarnacion's camp wanted to feel out the market.