Blue Jays 'respect' Encarnacion's extension deadline

Edwin Encarnacion's Opening Day deadline for a contract extension is rapidly approaching, leaving the Toronto Blue Jays a little over two weeks to get a deal done.

"We have spent time talking to him about his interests," Blue Jays general manager Ross Atkins said Thursday during a radio appearance. "We've talked to him about some of ours. We're not going to get in the details of the negotiation but absolutely we are having discussions with him. And that deadline is his. And we absolutely respect that 100 percent."

Atkins said the club would also prefer to strike a deal before the first pitch is thrown next month.

"That is a huge distraction and I'm blown away by players' ability to handle it," Atkins added. "You're not talking about an amount of money that will impact you for one year. The numbers are so significant that it would be impossible for someone to table that on a daily basis. It's my opinion, and I think Edwin's too, that it needs to be tabled for a more significant period.

"We'll let Edwin drive that. That would be our preference. It seems like it is his. To me and Mark (Shapiro), in any negotiation to have hardline back-and-whites is never a good thing. We never burn bridges or close doors and always respect parameters and boundaries."

The 33-year-old - who is slated to become a free agent this fall - said the two sides have clashed on the potential length of an extension, and haven't even discussed money yet.

Toronto opens the regular season April 3 in Tampa Bay.