Revisiting the time the Blue Jays almost lost Edwin Encarnacion to Oakland

"Edwin Encarnacion was one of the defining pillars of the previous Toronto Blue Jays' core, before Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. were ever names that fans were keen on. From 2012-16, he and José Bautista were the driving forces of the Blue Jays' first taste of real success since the 1990s. The first baseman hit .272/.367/.544 with a 146 OPS+ during that five-year stretched, which featured 193 home runs and 550 RBIs."

"However, before all of that success and glory nearly came a catastrophic mistake. The Blue Jays originally designated Encarnacion for assignment after a middling 2010 season to open a spot on the 40-man roster, losing him to the then-Oakland Athletics. #OTD 15 years ago, the A's claimed Edwin Encarnacion off waivers from the Blue Jays, only to non-tender him a few weeks later.Encarnacion then re-signed with the Jays.He received a one-year, $2.5-million contract with a $3.5-million option for 2011.And the rest is history."

"How the Athletics bailed the Blue Jays out of one of their biggest mistakes The Blue Jays originally got Encarnacion as part of the return package for third baseman Scott Rolen in a 2009 trade deadline deal with the Cincinnati Reds. The other two players they received in the deal -- Josh Roenicke and Zach Stewart -- hardly made an impact in the majors, but Encarnacion became a superstar down the line. Before that, though, the team nearly lost him on waivers."

Edwin Encarnacion anchored the Blue Jays' offense from 2012–16 alongside José Bautista, producing a .272/.367/.544 slash line, a 146 OPS+, 193 home runs and 550 RBIs over five seasons. He excelled in postseason play, recording seven extra-base hits and an .852 OPS across the team's back-to-back ALCS runs in 2015–16. Encarnacion joined Toronto as part of the Scott Rolen trade in 2009 but was designated for assignment after 2010 and claimed by Oakland. The A's non-tendered him weeks later, and he re-signed with Toronto on a one-year, $2.5 million deal with a $3.5 million option.

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