The Giants and Jerar Encarnación are in settlement on a minor league deal, stories Mike Rodriguez on X. The outfielder had been with Guerreros de Oaxaca within the Mexican League, who additionally posted on X concerning the take care of the Giants. It’s not but official as Encarnación continues to be ready on his work visa and must take his bodily, per Rodriguez.
Encarnación, 26, got here up as a prospect within the Marlins’ system and spent a while within the large leagues with them. He was outrighted off their roster in July of final 12 months and was in a position to elect free company on the finish of the season.
He has proven large energy all through his profession but additionally a troubling tendency to strike out. In his 81 main league plate appearances in 2022, he hit three house runs however was additionally punched out in 39.5% of them. He spent all of final 12 months in Triple-A, entering into 122 video games at that stage. He hit 26 homers there but additionally struck out 38.8% of the time.
With Oaxaca this 12 months, he stepped to the plate 107 occasions and amazingly launched 19 house runs. That helped him produce an absurd batting line of .366/.439/.989. His 24.3% strikeout fee wasn’t as dangerous as his most up-to-date stint in affiliated ball, although it’s onerous to quantify the standard of pitching he’s been dealing with in Mexico.
It’s comprehensible why the Giants are prepared to present him a shot and see if he can convey that sturdy efficiency with him to their system. They at the moment have seven place gamers on the injured record, together with 4 outfielders in Jung Hoo Lee, Jorge Soler, Austin Slater and Michael Conforto. Whereas Blake Sabol can play some outfield, he’s tied to the catcher place now with Patrick Bailey and Tom Murphy each on the IL. Wade Meckler is on the 40-man roster however coping with a wrist damage within the minor leagues.
Mike Yastrzemski is essentially the most established member of the outfield that’s at the moment wholesome. The opposite two spots have principally been stuffed by Heliot Ramos and Luis Matos currently, with every of these two pretty missing in expertise. Tyler Fitzgerald, who can also be mild on inexperience, is shifting round to play each the outfield and the infield.
With all of these shifting components, the Giants will convey Encarnación to Triple-A Sacramento and see how he fares. If he retains crushing the ball like he has been with the Guerreros, it’s not onerous to see him incomes some large league at-bats, whether or not he can tamp down the strikeouts or not.
