Contest time

Since we have three Blue Jays free agents who still haven’t signed, I thought we’d have a series of contests asking you to guess the team each signs with and the date the player signs.

Let’s start with Edwin Encarnacion.

Edwin must have been very curious about what it would be like to be a free agent.

After an up and down first several years of his major league career, that included being a ‘throw in’ in a trade to the Jays, being ridiculed by his new team’s fans (gaining the nickname E5), being taken on waivers by the A’s, then let go a few days later, signing back with the Jays, a trip to the minors, then he finally becomes a star.

Five seasons of consistently terrific play, and he earns the right to free agency at 33 years old (34 in January).

His time as a free agent starts out with an fairly decent offer from his current team, a team that he has grown comfortable with, but not a offer that knocked his socks off, but a good starting point for negotiations.

No one could blame him for wanting to see what other offers might be out there. This might be his only chance at a big free agent contract. And, if there wasn’t one out there, the 4-years and $80 million offer wasn’t a terrible fallback.

Then, the Blue Jays sign Kendrys Morales for the position you played on the team. That hurts. You’d had to figure that the team would give you a few days to check out your options, but nope.

It’s ok, because the Red Sox are interested....but they aren’t.

Maybe the Yankees....nope, not so much.

Well, the Astros, at least you’ll be warm in Texas, and your agent is saying you’ll have a deal in no time. Then they go and sign Carlos Beltran. Why would they rather have a 39-year-old Beltran?

It’s getting towards the Christmas season and you still don’t know where you are going to be playing next year.

The Cardinals act interested, but they aren’t sure you can play 150 games at first base. Cleveland talks to you, but they are Cleveland. Who else is out there? The Mariners? Would you want to play in the ballpark where fly balls go to die?

I bet he was thinking that teams would wine and dine him and try to convince him that their team was the perfect place for him. I know I was expecting it.

I have no idea where he will sign and I’m not sure he has any idea either.

Anyway, use the thread to tell us where and when Edwin will sign. I can’t promise you a prize, but isn’t winning prize enough? No? Sorry.