MLB Rumors: Blue Jays, White Sox Interested in Edwin Encarnacion

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The Hot Stove has stayed mostly lukewarm this week as the winter stretches on.

People are curious whether the Indians will keep All-Star shortstop Francisco Lindor or trade him before he becomes a free agent next offseason. Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts's name has also come up in recent trade talks, but there has not been any strong signs from either club about what they will do with their stars.

Free-agent third baseman Josh Donaldson is still on the market and rumors continue to buzz over whether he will return to the Braves or go to a new team. Will he be the next top free agent to sign a deal in December? 

Check out the latest news and rumors around baseball:

• The Marlins are working to sign catcher Francisco Cervelli, a former teammate of owner Derek Jeter. (Jon Heyman, MLB Network) 
• The White Sox are "having conversations" with free agent Edwin Encarnacion. Chicago started discussions at the Winter Meetings, and Encarnacion continues to draw interest. (Bruce Levine, 670 The Score) 
• The Blue Jays and free agent infielder Travis Shaw have agreed to a one-year deal worth a base salary of $4 million, and that value could reach as much as $4.675 million in incentives for his number of plate appearances. (Jon Morosi, MLB.com)
• Dallas Keuchel has agreed to a three-year, $55.5 million deal with the Chicago White Sox. The contract includes a vesting fourth-year that could make it a $74 million deal. (Jon Heyman, MLB Network) 
• The Rangers' interest in acquiring Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado is "genuine" and the club is doing its "due diligence." (Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post) Texas has been intrigued by Arenado for years. He stood out as one of their top free agents for this winter before he signed his eight-year, $260 million extension in spring 2019. If the Rangers wanted to trade for Arenado, they would need the right trade package to send to Colorado in exchange for him. (Evan Grant, The Dallas Morning News)
• The Blue Jays have made "competitive offers" for free agents Hyun-Jin Ryu and Encarnacion. Toronto has a "decent chance to sign at least [Encarnacion]." (Jon Heyman, MLB Network)
• There's mutual interest between Encarnacion and the Blue Jays. He previously played with the club for eight seasons. (Ben Nicholson-Smith, Sportsnet)
• First baseman C.J. Cron and the Tigers have agreed to a one-year, $6.1 million contract. (Jeff Passan, ESPN)
• Free-agent second baseman Jonathan Schoop and the Tigers have agreed to a one-year, $6.1 million deal. The contract also includes performance bonuses. (Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic)
• Josh Donaldson has received multiple four-year offers, and the Twins and Nationals are believed to be at that level. The Dodgers and Braves "remain in the mix" for Donaldson but might not be willing to offer a four years. (Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic)
• Catcher Martin Maldonado and the Astros have agreed to a two-year, $7 million deal. Maldonado had other offers but took less money to return to Houston. (Mark Feinsand, MLB.com)
• The Indians told teams interested in Francisco Lindor that they wanted each club's best and final offers for the shortstop so they can assess their options over the weekend. This does not mean Cleveland will trade Lindor. The Reds, Dodgers and Padres are believed to be have expressed interest in him. (Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic)