The A’s might break character for Edwin Encarnacion

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The Oakland A’s have long been one of those teams that you assume is going to sell any player who eventually reaches superstar status or even just star status while under their umbrella. Billy Beane is still in a position of influence in the franchise, so it’s reasonable to expect them to keep on going about their business in a cost-effective manner that keeps an eye on the future. However, the A’s are still a franchise that could have a surprise or two up its sleeve, and the latest rumor involving Oakland is a bit of a doozy.

According to Jon Heyman, the A’s are considering making a run at Edwin Encarnacion. You have to imagine that the price for Encarnacion is going to get lower and lower as the offseason progresses. With that being said, he’s still the top free agent left on the market, which means that the price tag is still going to be pretty high — even if it does take a while for him to eventually latch on to a team. So of course, seeing a frugal team like the A’s seemingly trying to make a run at a big-time free agent like Encarnacion is a bit of a jolt to the status quo.

On the field, Encarnacion would easily slide into Oakland’s DH spot, as it’s safe to assume that a player who hit 42 dingers and had a wRC+ of 134 last season would be more than welcome in that position. Off the field, a potential Encarnacion signing would serve as a reminder that the Oakland A’s aren’t just permanent sellers. They can spring a surprise act on the baseball world if they pull this off, and although this could just be nothing more than a rumor, it’s definitely intriguing to see the A’s involved in a race for a big-time free agent for a change.

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