Grade the Trade: Toronto Blue Jays trade Scott Rolen for Edwin Encarnacion
A decade ago, Edwin Encarnacion was a power-hitting third baseman for the Cincinnati Reds. Years later, Encarnacion bloomed into one of MLB's most elite sluggers. It all began with a trade between the Reds and Toronto Blue Jays with third baseman Scott Rolen as the centerpiece in the deal.
On July 31, 2009 the Reds were looking to upgrade at the hot corner. Along with Josh Roenicke and Zach Stewart, Encarnacion packed his passport and headed to the Blue Jays. It was the second time he was traded in his professional career. The first time happened eight years prior when the Texas Rangers sent him to the Reds.
At the time of the trade, Encarnacion was batting .209 and blasting home runs on an irregular basis. Playing time was sparse for the 26-year-old third baseman.
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One year prior, Encarnacion hit 26 home runs for the Reds. It appeared like a one-and-done season as he regressed the following year. The Reds' assumption couldn't have been further from the truth. Encarnacion was just getting started.
As anyone with even the slightest knowledge of Encarnacion's existence knows, he was a big part of the Blue Jays franchise over the last few seasons. He nearly did slip away from them as the Oakland Athletics claimed him off waivers following a terrible 2010 season. He'd become a free agent a few weeks later and return to the Blue Jays. The next season, he began to put it all together. By 2012, Encarnacion was bashing home runs alongside Jose Bautista whose prominent rise in baseball took him down a very similar path.
Down in Cincinnati, the Reds landed an experienced third baseman who wasn't limited to hitting home runs. Rolen played well for them in 2009 and was an All-Star the next two seasons. The 2011 selection was not a deserving nomination, but one he can brag about to his grandchildren.
Other than the latter part of 2009 and all of 2010, Rolen was a blip on the radar in Reds history. He hit below .250 in each of his final two MLB seasons before eventually returning. In the 2010 playoffs, he was one of several Reds players who slumped in the NLDS versus Rolen's original squad, the Philadelphia Phillies. Rolen was not much more helpful in 2012 when it was the San Francisco Giants that bounced the Reds in the NLDS.
The best grade in this trade clearly belongs to the Blue Jays who ended up with what became an absolute steal. The Reds, while wise to upgrade at the time due to Encarnacion's performance, clearly gave up on him too soon. Though it would have eventually caused a conflict with Encarnacion shifting from third base to first base due to Joey Votto's presence, Cincinnati didn't get much more than a short-term rental.
