Three key players found new homes on Christmas Day in MLB free agency, including a multi-time American League leader in home runs. That would be veteran Edwin Encarnacion, who signed with the Chicago White Sox on a one-year. $12 million contract. The deal does include a team option for the 2021 season, which would cost another $12 million, as the slugger continues to bounce around from team to team in the league. He split the 2019 season between the Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees, playing in just 109 games due to injuries.
Encarnacion was dealt from the Mariners to the Yankees on June 10th, and went on to bat .244 combined on the season. When the three-time All-Star went down with an oblique injury, he was leading the American League with 21 home runs, but he did still finish with 34 home runs on the year. In 44 regular season games with the Yankees, the 37-year-old hit .249 with 13 home runs and 37 RBIs. He also got hot with a .308 average during their ALDS sweep of the Minnesota Twins, and he will now join a White Sox lineup that is quickly getting powerful with Jose Abreu, Nomar Mazara, and Yasmani Grandal.
Moving out west, Kole Calhoun has parted ways with the Los Angeles Angels for the first time in his career, but he is still staying in the West, just on the National League side. Calhoun agreed to a two-year, $16 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Christmas Day. There is a team option for a third year that is worth $9 million, as the 32-year-old moves on from the Angels after declining his 2020 option with them. The outfielder went to college at Arizona State, before getting selected by the Angels in eighth round of the 2010 MLB Draft. He has been in the majors consistently since 2012, and is coming off a career-best year that saw him hit 33 home runs and drive in 74 runs.
Transitioning in to the bullpen, former New York Yankees powerful reliever Dellin Betances is staying in New York, but this time with the Mets. Betances is joining the Mets on a one-year, $10.5 million contract, but that total can reach $13 million if he appears in 70 games. There is a player option for the 2021 season, along with a vesting player option for 2022. Over 381.2 career innings Betances has 621 strikeouts, but he missed most of last season with a shoulder injury. That occurred in March during Spring Training, as he was diagnosed with an impingement in his right shoulder. He was not able to get on the mound in the minors until September, and his hopes of helping the Yankees ended after just eight pitches in his return, as he tore his left Achilles tendon after jumping in celebration. He will hope to get back to his winning ways, including being a four-time All-Star, and posting a 2.36 ERA over 358 career relief appearances.
In one other minor note, veteran catcher Francisco Cervelli has also agreed to a deal with the Miami Marlins. It is a one-year, $2 million contract that reunites him with former Yankees teammate Derek Jeter, who is in the Marlins' front office. The 33-year-old was waived by the Pittsburgh Pirates last season and ended 2019 with the Atlanta Braves, where he hit .281 with two home runs and seven RBIs over 37 games. Cervelli is a career .269 hitter, but was let go by the Pirates after batting just .193 in 34 games with them. He will now take over the role of a veteran leader for a young team in full rebuild mode by the beach.
Encarnacion was dealt from the Mariners to the Yankees on June 10th, and went on to bat .244 combined on the season. When the three-time All-Star went down with an oblique injury, he was leading the American League with 21 home runs, but he did still finish with 34 home runs on the year. In 44 regular season games with the Yankees, the 37-year-old hit .249 with 13 home runs and 37 RBIs. He also got hot with a .308 average during their ALDS sweep of the Minnesota Twins, and he will now join a White Sox lineup that is quickly getting powerful with Jose Abreu, Nomar Mazara, and Yasmani Grandal.
Moving out west, Kole Calhoun has parted ways with the Los Angeles Angels for the first time in his career, but he is still staying in the West, just on the National League side. Calhoun agreed to a two-year, $16 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Christmas Day. There is a team option for a third year that is worth $9 million, as the 32-year-old moves on from the Angels after declining his 2020 option with them. The outfielder went to college at Arizona State, before getting selected by the Angels in eighth round of the 2010 MLB Draft. He has been in the majors consistently since 2012, and is coming off a career-best year that saw him hit 33 home runs and drive in 74 runs.
Transitioning in to the bullpen, former New York Yankees powerful reliever Dellin Betances is staying in New York, but this time with the Mets. Betances is joining the Mets on a one-year, $10.5 million contract, but that total can reach $13 million if he appears in 70 games. There is a player option for the 2021 season, along with a vesting player option for 2022. Over 381.2 career innings Betances has 621 strikeouts, but he missed most of last season with a shoulder injury. That occurred in March during Spring Training, as he was diagnosed with an impingement in his right shoulder. He was not able to get on the mound in the minors until September, and his hopes of helping the Yankees ended after just eight pitches in his return, as he tore his left Achilles tendon after jumping in celebration. He will hope to get back to his winning ways, including being a four-time All-Star, and posting a 2.36 ERA over 358 career relief appearances.
In one other minor note, veteran catcher Francisco Cervelli has also agreed to a deal with the Miami Marlins. It is a one-year, $2 million contract that reunites him with former Yankees teammate Derek Jeter, who is in the Marlins' front office. The 33-year-old was waived by the Pittsburgh Pirates last season and ended 2019 with the Atlanta Braves, where he hit .281 with two home runs and seven RBIs over 37 games. Cervelli is a career .269 hitter, but was let go by the Pirates after batting just .193 in 34 games with them. He will now take over the role of a veteran leader for a young team in full rebuild mode by the beach.
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