Where have you gone, Edwin Encarnacion?
Encarnacion was supposed to be in Boston. That was by all accounts ordained as EE would slide into the DH role and do what he does best – produce runs by the baseball bushel. Even Ortiz did extensive proselytizing to get his fellow Dominican to lend a big right-hand bat.
The Red Sox made a fiscal decision – some would say they simply went cheap – if you consider $5.5 Million as cheap. The Red Sox brought in Moreland to do what he has always done – DH and play an above average first base. In 2016 Moreland hit 22 out of the yard and accounted for 60 RBI – an off-season for Moreland. Or was it?
If Moreland does not return to 2015 production and the rest of the lineup, or at least portions of it, have slippage there could be a run loss that will reverberate throughout the lineup. Where is it made up? A Moreland and Ramirez in the tank would be a significant offensive issue and Dave Dombrowski could be holding the PR bag.
Did DD rush? Encarnacion’s price dropped as did the length of the contract. The ever jovial and good-natured Jose Bautista is fishing for just a one-year deal. The DH market simply did not come close to fiscal materializing as did the bullpen market. The Sox haste could come back to haunt.