Edwin Encarnacion, Anyone?

Yesterday I took a look at the possibility of the Twins trading away Ben Revere and Chris Parmelee to get Ian Stewart and Will Harris. While certainly improbable, it is not out of the question.

As I said yesterday, the most likely course of action for the Twins would be to bring in a veteran third baseman with a proven bat and a decent glove. He would cover the left corner for a year until the great Danny Valencia is ready for action. This route may be the cheapest, but there is another to consider: trading for a young third baseman.

Edwin Encarnacion is a 25-year-old third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds. He quietly hit 26 home runs last year, along with an OPS of 806. He posted a line of .251/.340/.466. He is a perfect power-hitting third baseman.

His defense, though, is less-than-stellar and that will be among the first things noticed by fans and management alike. With Nick Punto guarding the left infield bag last year, a drop in defensive prowess is almost guaranteed.

Encarnacion had one of if not the worst seasons of his career in 2008, both at the plate and on the field. He suffered drops in his BABIP, line drive rate, contact rate, number of steals, and struck out more.

He is still growing and maturing, though, and it must be remembered that he is only 26 years old. His home run total is the highest of his career, however, as is his fly ball rate.

One explanation for this strange increase/decrease is his newfound ability to be patient. He had more walks in 2008, and more strikeouts come in the same package with being more patient.

The only real problem I see with Encarnacion is his defense. He is one of the worst in the league, but Valencia doesn’t have the best glove either. Encarnacion may actually be better than Valencia in the long-run.

Encarnacion is eligible for arbitration this year but only made $400,000 in 2008. The Twins could certainly afford his contract, but could they afford the lofty fees the Reds would insist upon? Here is a possiblity:

Twins Give:

Brendan Harris, 3B, Minnesota Twins
Anthony Slama, RHP, Single A Fort Myers

Reds Give:

Edwin Encarnacion, 3B, Cincinnati Reds

The Twins benefit from this by receiving the third baseman they need right away. I have no doubt that Encarnacion will improve from last year as he is still maturing as a major league hitter. He won’t be a threat to steal many bases, but has the power to knock home some runners. He would be a great addition to the middle of the Twins’ lineup.

It has been suggested that all Encarnacion needs is a change of scenery and he will return to his previous form. The Reds aren’t contenders every year, but with the addition of Encarnacion and a few other select moves the Twins could be in the thick of the AL Central race.

The Reds will get a third baseman who can immediately provide decent defense and offense. The defensive jump at the left corner would be huge. Encarnacion didn’t have the best attitude when playing for the Reds, and I doubt they hold on to him with too firm a grip.

If they can find somebody willing to play with their young team who has marginal offense and defense, they should jump at the offer.

Although the Reds’ major league bullpen is very solid there are some weak spots further down the minor league totem pole. Slama dominated in Single-A Fort Myers and wasn’t promoted all year. If he remains with the Twins he will certainly start out 2009 in Double-A.

If he were traded to the Reds he would potentially have to spend a little time with High-A Sarasota, but would spend the majority of the year in Double-A Chattanooga. He may even be promoted to Triple-A Louisville before the year is over. Either way, Slama should be ready for major league service in 2010

What do you think? Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comment section below.