Indians agree to deal with slugger Encarnacion

A person familiar with the negotiations says the AL champion Cleveland Indians have agreed to a contract with free agent slugger Edwin Encarnacion.

The sides agreed to terms Thursday night and the deal is contingent upon the 33-year-old Encarnacion passing a physical after the holidays, according to the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team had not made an announcement.

Encarnacion had 42 home runs and an AL-high 127 RBIs last season for the Toronto Blue Jays, who lost to Cleveland in the AL Championship Series. Over the past five seasons, he’s averaged 39 homers and 110 RBIs in 145 games.

The signing would bolster the Indians’ lineup and could help get them back to the World Series. Despite being without two starting pitchers, Cleveland took a 3-1 lead in the Series before the Chicago Cubs rallied to win in seven games.