Entering his prime, Edwin Encarnacion looks to turn back the clock to ’08

That would be the season that a then 25-year old Edwin Encarnacion hit .251/.340 with 26 home runs for the Cincinnati Reds. Two years before he was non-tendered by the Blue Jays, then non-tendered again by the Oakland Athletics before signing a one-year deal with the Jays to be a utility player/DH. Encarnacion has come a long way since being touted as a breakout candidate at the hot corner that season, and has struggled to find both consistency at the plate and playing time. Now 28 and entering the prime years of his career, the third baseman is at a crossroads year in ’11 instead of enjoying a lucrative deal that takes him into his 30′s. Part of the problem was that he never found his glove at 3rd: to say that Encarnacion played below-average defense would be an understatement; he has a career fielding percentage of .936, and committed 18 errors last year while playing in 96 games for the Blue Jays – Encarnacion is nicknamed E5 amongst Jays fans for a reason. It d...