The San Francisco Giants designated outfielder Jerar Encarnacion for assignment last week after he struggled through 35 plate appearances with a .406 OPS to start the season.
The 28-year-old cleared waivers and elected free agency. Now he’s got options.
Francys Romero of BeisbolFR reports that several MLB teams and three NPB clubs in Japan are showing interest in the Dominican Republic native.
“Several MLB teams have shown interest in outfielder Jerar Encarnacion. There are also three NPB teams interested in the 28-year-old. Encarnacion spent time with the San Francisco Giants from 2024 to 2026 and elected free agency on Sunday.”
What makes this interesting is how Encarnacion got to the Giants in the first place. He signed with San Francisco in 2024 after an absolutely scorching 26-game stretch with the Mexican League’s Guerreros de Oaxaca.
The right-handed hitter went completely nuclear in those 107 plate appearances – 19 home runs, .366 batting average, and a 1.428 OPS that had scouts taking notice.
That production never translated to the majors, though. Encarnacion managed just a .619 OPS with seven home runs across parts of three seasons with the Giants. Injuries didn’t help his case – a hand fracture, oblique strain, and hamstring strain limited him to just 19 games in 2025.
The fact that multiple teams are interested suggests they see something in that Mexican League performance. Sometimes a change of scenery – whether it’s another MLB clubhouse or a fresh start in Japan – can unlock what scouts originally saw in a player.
For Encarnacion, it’s about finding the right fit and staying healthy long enough to show what he can do over a full season.
