When Encarnacion signed last winter, many viewed it as a great move, getting a star player at a relative bargain price. But this contract has had major implications on the future of the club. At the time, it was a sign the front office was going for a World Series title. After having just lost to the Cubs in a heartbreaker, they went and added more power.
The contract itself isn’t bad, compared to what he might have been able to get elsewhere. But while Encarnacion’s deal may have pried open the championship window a little wider, it also shortened the amount of time the window would be open.