The New York Yankees on Thursday declined their $20 million club option for Edwin Encarnacion for the 2020 season.
The 36-year-old designated hitter/first baseman will receive a $5 million buyout and become a free agent.
Encarnacion was acquired from the Seattle Mariners in a June 15 trade for 19-year-old pitching prospect Juan Then.
He batted .249 with 13 homers and 37 RBIs in 44 regular-season games with the Yankees and hit .161 with two RBIs in eight postseason contests. He missed time with a broken right wrist and an oblique injury.
A three-time All-Star with the Toronto Blue Jays (2013-14, 2016), Encarnacion has eight career 30-homer seasons and six 100-RBI campaigns — including a league-leading 127 in 2016.
In 15 seasons, he owns a career .263 batting average with 414 homers and 1,242 RBIs in 1,916 games with the Cincinnati Reds, Blue Jays, Cleveland Indians, Mariners and Yankees.
–Field Level Media (@FieldLevelMedia)
