Blue Jays notes: Encarnacion talks paused, Loup without timetable

With Encarnacion’s self-imposed spring training deadline now passed, the Blue Jays designated hitter intends to focus on the season ahead

Opening day in Tampa Bay opened one door while closing another. Well, perhaps it’s been closed for a while now.

Edwin Encarnacion and the Toronto Blue Jays have reportedly not held any formal negotiations in the past few weeks despite his spring training deadline. As Shi Davidi of Sportsnet reports, there was no last-minute push from the organization’s side, either.

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Now, Encarnacion tells Davidi that he’s comfortable shifting his full focus to the field for a season that will play a heavy hand in establishing his free agent value. Playing this year on a $10 million salary for the second consecutive season, Encarnacion should be looking to maximize his career value this coming offseason with a substantial payday.

“That’s why I wanted to do it the way I did it, because after today I don’t want to talk anymore or anything like that,” he said. “I just want to focus on my game and focus on my team and focus on winning games.”

From the organization’s side, a level of hesitation here is understandable. With the heart removed from this conversation, it’s easy to see that history does not favour DH-types heading over the hump and into their late-30s on rich, long-term deals.

Complete radio silence on the negotiating front, however, is admittedly surprising. In the end, Encarnacion playing out the final year of this deal and entering the open market will firmly establish his league-wide value, and the Blue Jays can then choose whether or not they want to come to that number.

Judging by the past month, Encarnacion is a rare player that would sign with Toronto over another option with the dollars being dead even.

Next: 5 reasons that 2016 could be the Blue Jays year

Aaron Loup receives cortisone shot

Over at MLB.com, Gregor Chisholm reports that Blue Jays lefty Aaron Loup received a cortisone shot in his left elbow earlier in the week in hopes that the swelling and inflammation will begin to subside. Loup is currently on the 15-day disabled list to begin the season.

Loup’s timeline has slowly dragged from opening day being a legitimate goal to a much more questionable state. With this news it becomes apparent that he’ll be missing multiple weeks, perhaps even the entire April and beyond. This would surely involve Loup pitching on a rehab assignment, but at this point, he might need to force his way back on to the team regardless.

The Blue Jays have recently added veteran lefty Franklin Morales on a $2 million contract, and he’ll be given every opportunity to establish himself over the coming weeks. If Loup can return to full health and his old form, however, he continues to have the potential to be one of baseball’s best left-on-left arms (a career .555 opponent’s OPS in those situations).