OAKLAND – A sore lower back kept Edwin Encarnacion out of the lineup the past few days. And now, the Mariners’ best hitter will never make another appearance in it again.
MLB sources confirm that Encarnacion, the current American League leader with 21 home runs, has been traded to the Yankees. The Mariners will receive young right-hander Juan Then in return for Encarnacion while the Yankees will pick up somewhere between $8.5-10 million of the cash owed to Encarnacion.
If the name – Juan Then — sounds familiar, it’s because it was recently mentioned when the Mariners released reliever Nick Rumbelow.