Juan Encarnacion files for Free Agency
TOWER GROVE — St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Juan Encarnacion, who sustained a severe and vision-threatening injury to his eye late in the 2007 season, submitted the necessary paperwork Monday to file for free agency. The move is largely symbolic, a formality that all players do at the end of an existing contract.
At the end of August 2007, Encarnacion was standing in the on-deck circle when a foul ball sped toward him and shattered his orbital bone, causing tremendous trauma and permament damage to his left eye. The injury has put more than his career in jeopardy — it put his vision in question. Colleague Joe Strauss, who has done continuous reporting on this subject, and myself have spoken with people who say Encarnacion’s vision has not returned to a point where he can drive a car. He was, at one point, described by a doctor as legally blind in the left eye.
His vision was classified a year ago as 20/400 in his left eye.
“Clearly it’s a matter of hope,” team doctor George Paletta shortly after Encarnacion’s first surgery. “We hope … (but) there is guarded prognosis of with his chance of recovering his full vision.”
The Cardinals have said they had minimal contact with Encarnacion this season.
Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said Monday he recently spoke with Encarnacion’s agent and that “it is still a difficult time for him and still has a long road to go.”
Encarnacion’s status had been difficult to obtain throughout this past summer, as the outfielder has not responded to calls and inquiries, even from teammates. (A call was placed Monday afternoon to his agent, just to check again.) There was a thought that Encarnacion would visit the team during spring. He did not. Some members of the Cardinals attempted to visit him during their visit to Boston this past season, where Encarnacion was at one time receiving treatment on the eye. They were unsuccessful.
He has had several reconstructive surgeries on the bone structure around the eye, officials said.
Encarnacion signed a three-year, $15-million contract with the Cardinals before the 2006 season. Encarnacion went 8-for-36 during the 2006 postseason run, and in his first season with the Cardinals, starting regularly in right field, Encarnacion hit .278 with 79 RBIs and 74 runs scored. Before the injury in 2007, Encarnacion was hitting .283, slugging 445 and he had 47 RBIs and 43 runs in 78 games.
Encarnacion was the only player to file for free agency Monday. He is the last of the eligible Cardinals to do so. Free agency opens later this week.
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One other newsy item: Cardinals third base coach Jose Oquendo will interview for Seattle’s vacancy at manager. The Cardinals have granted the Mariners permission to speak with the Secret Weapon.
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Derrick Goold said he was going to Mizzou for capital-J journalism, but after growing up in the Time Zone Baseball Forgot he was really drawn to MU sitting between two major-league cities. Goold joined the Post-Dispatch in 2001 after working for The Times-Picayune and Rocky Mountain News, covering sports from LSU to NHL and every level of baseball in between. 
I’m sure I speak for all of Cardinal nation when I say that we wish Juan all the best and hope that, even if he is never able to play the glorious game of baseball again, he can regain his vision once again. You will always be in our thoughts and prayers. Good luck, Juan, in whatever the future may bring you.