Agent: Encarnacion won't negotiate in-season

One day after David Ortiz lobbied for him to join the Red Sox this winter, Edwin Encarnacion's agent confirmed Wednesday that his client has no intentions of negotiating a contract extension with the Toronto Blue Jays during the season.

An impending free agent, Encarnacion imposed an opening day deadline for contract talks with the Blue Jays. The two sides failed to make progress then, and it appears the slugger's 23-homer, 80-RBI campaign has done little to revive contract discussions since.

"Once the season started, we were not going to negotiate," Encarnacion's agent, Paul Kinzer, told Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports Network on Wednesday. "He thought it was a distraction last time. He's the most relaxed I’ve ever seen him. Why mess with the guy? He’s content. He's happy."

Encarnacion, 33, figures to be in line for the biggest pay day of his career after signing an exceptionally team-friendly extension in 2012. Since inking that three-year, $29-million deal, which included a $10-million club option for this season, Encarnacion has hit the third-most homers in the majors while earning All-Star selections in three of four seasons.

When asked by Heyman if Toronto has pursued contract talks since the season began, Encarnacion's agent replied, "Not really."

Heyman noted that there's a belief the Blue Jays are prioritizing the re-signing of Jose Bautista, another free-agent-slugger-to-be, over Encarnacion. Either way, Kinzer insisted his client will give the Blue Jays a fair shake in free agency.

"This doesn’t mean Toronto's out," Kinzer told FanRag. "This was the plan all along. We were going to play this thing out."