Smoak signal: Lind moves one step closer to the door?

[dagger]

Acquiring Justin Smoak appears to make it easier for the Jays to contemplate trade offers for Lind. Still, if they do pick up Smoak's option and deal Lind, they will save a few million (without pricing in the cost of incoming talent for Lind) while sacrificing some offensive production.

http://www.torontosun.com/2014/10/28/bl ... stin-smoak

[dagger]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/ShiDavidi/status/527523493509083137[/tweet]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/LottOnBaseball/status/527524190669533184[/tweet]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/BKennedyStar/status/527522699166613504[/tweet]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/LottOnBaseball/status/527525924326367232[/tweet]

[UN-Owen]

I like this type of acquisition

Smoak was the best hitting prospect in baseball at one point, so it's a low risk/high reward move

Similar situation to Chris Davis

[dagger]

http://sports.nationalpost.com/2014/10/ ... -new-team/

That description works generically for most waiver claims. Smoak came across as a nice enough fellow in his conference call, but as a player, his credentials are well-entrenched. He hovers in that twilight zone between Triple-A regular and big-league reserve.

While Adam Lind is drawing plenty of interest from rival clubs, Smoak hardly looms as a suitable replacement should the Jays pick up Lind’s US$7.5-million option and trade him.

Lind destroys right-handed pitching and can’t hit lefties. Smoak is a switch hitter, equally exposed from either side. His career splits: .224 average with a .709 OPS vs. right-handers, .223/.650 vs. lefties.

Smoak’s contract is not guaranteed. He himself admitted that the Jays will decline his US$3.65-million option for 2015 and exercise a US$150,000 buyout. After that, the parties could negotiate a new deal or go to arbitration.

In his five-year career, Smoak has a slash line of .224/.309/.380/.689 with 74 homers – 20 of which came in 2013.

[satyr9]

Well, one shouldn't judge a plan based after only seeing step one, but I am definitively NOT a fan of the beginning of this offseason.

[Lateral Quicks]

This acquisition makes little sense. Smoak is not the kind of project you take on if you intend to compete next year. I'm not against trading Lind, but if the money is used on AAAA-type players like Smoak then what's the point?

[Randle McMurphy]

If Smoak is their idea of a Lind replacement, trading Lind won't be such a good idea at all.

[Michael Bradley]

Unfortunately I think he will be the Lind replacement. I see no reason why they'd pay him the buyout and then let him go, and if he goes to arbitration he will be making real money. Not a good use of (limited?) resources. Now, maybe they'll non-tender him and sign him to a cheaper deal, but he'd likely only do that if they gave him some sort of incentive (playing time). Don't see a positive here, unless Smoak suddenly becomes a good hitter next season.

[Schad]

Smoak is intriguing. Regrettably, Smoak is intriguing and nearly 28, which is the point at which intriguing pretty much has transitioned to not particularly good, and it's hard to get by with not particularly good at 1B.

It's not at all appetizing, but there is some upside; his components have always suggested that he ought to be better, and leaving Safeco could help. One hopes that it could be a stupid move that pays off, but it's probably merely a stupid move.

[polo007]

Hey guys,

According to the New York Post, the Toronto Blue Jays will trade Adam Lind to another MLB team. The Mariners and A’s stand out as teams that could dedicate significant DH at-bats to Lind.

http://nypost.com/2014/10/27/giants-bun ... verything/

Blue Jays perhaps gone with the Lind

If you want to take a guess on the first significant trade of the offseason, the Blue Jays moving Adam Lind is a good bet. Toronto has to either pick up a $7.5 million 2015 option or buy out Lind for $1 million, and there are strong indicators the Jays want to reallocate those funds elsewhere, so they might pick up the option and then deal Lind, who would be attractive to a team interested in him because he also has a reasonable $8 million 2016 option (or $500,000 buyout).

The Mariners and A’s stand out as teams that could dedicate significant DH at-bats to Lind. In theory, Lind also could play first base, but he is a limited defender. Also, he fits a model Oakland — among others — deploys when it cannot find an everyday player at a position: Obtain a player who can be used against a specific type of pitching.

Toronto all but abandoned using Lind against southpaws (2-for-33, .061), but the lefty hit .354 with a .942 OPS against righties last year. In his career, Lind has an .860 OPS against righties and .588 vs. lefties.

[Michael Bradley]

Smoak is intriguing. Regrettably, Smoak is intriguing and nearly 28, which is the point at which intriguing pretty much has transitioned to not particularly good, and it's hard to get by with not particularly good at 1B.

It's not at all appetizing, but there is some upside; his components have always suggested that he ought to be better, and leaving Safeco could help. One hopes that it could be a stupid move that pays off, but it's probably merely a stupid move.

I think him leaving Safeco is the only part of this that I am intrigued by. He's had a BB% of around 10-12% as a regular, which is good, and his ISO in a pitcher's park has been around the .160-.170 range, which isn't great for a 1B but there might be more there potentially. I really don't know what his upside is at this point, but as you said, there are some components to his numbers which could theoretically improve in a better environment. I think we'd all be more positive if this were a minor league deal or very low cost flier. However, at a projected $3M arbitration figure, and possibly an everyday starting spot during what could be the team's last chance with Bautista, it's an expensive shot in the dark for a guy with a shoddy MLB track record.

[satyr9]

It comes down to this, no matter how you swing it, he's an obvious downgrade on Lind. His contract status makes it perfectly clear he's not a Brett Wallace or Dan Johnson depth flyer type and he's positionally unuseable as a bench piece, so he's here to replace Lind, or, if you really want to puke, Edwin.

Obviously, either one brings back something in trade so it's not a complete picture, but if Smoak is the best trade-free downgrade we can afford, over any number of other UFA DH candidates, then I don't have high hopes for the offseason.

Now, that being said, AA may just like to cover his own ass. A move like this lets him deal Lind, then wait out the UFA market hoping for a Cruzesque bargain with a back-up Smoak option that isn't a Dan Johnson/Brett Wallace level disaster. But, the buyout cost on Smoak plus having 10-15m lying around in wait hoping for a bargain would rely on having quite a bit of free cash to spend, which isn't something I'm holding my breath on. If he proves me wrong, I'll more than happily eat generous portions of crow though.

[Duffman100]

Don't the Mariners have some middle infield options to trade for? a 2B or SS option? Or am I remember a time long past?

[satyr9]

Don't the Mariners have some middle infield options to trade for? a 2B or SS option? Or am I remember a time long past?

It's Nick Franklin and Ackley you're thinking of. Ackley is now their every day LF and they dealt Franklin to get Austin Jackson in the David Price deal. They could still move Ackley and someone could put him at 2B again, but it's not nearly the glut of 2B's that they had last year after the Cano signing.

[dagger]

Cant have too much of a good thing, I suppose

[tweet]https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/527864762794008576[/tweet]

[Fairview4Life]

Our hitting coach should really help Smoak get on track.

[Graham's Cracker]

Cant have too much of a good thing, I suppose

[tweet]https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal/status/527864762794008576[/tweet]

Santiago Nessy is the catcher going the other way.

[MikeM]

I can't believe all this cost cutting BS we've been going through literally immediately after we knowingly traded for Reyes and Buehrle. AA knowingly traded for Mark Buehrle and his 20M salary.

I mean, we even got Josh Johnson and knew we had to re-sign him. Were we hoping his arm would fall off so we wouldn't have to pay him?

We can't even re-sign hitting coaches.

[Michael Bradley]

Making matters worse, Liam Towers has no options left, which means AA acquired him to keep him around.

[Mehar]

I can't believe all this cost cutting BS we've been going through literally immediately after we knowingly traded for Reyes and Buehrle. AA knowingly traded for Mark Buehrle and his 20M salary.

I mean, we even got Josh Johnson and knew we had to re-sign him. Were we hoping his arm would fall off so we wouldn't have to pay him?

We can't even re-sign hitting coaches.

Well said. If Lind is dealt, i will wait and reserve judgement until i know what Toronto is getting back, but if anyone out there thinks that Smoak will fill Lind's spot needs to have their heads examined. It all comes down to money again. Picking up Lind's 7.5 M option to me would be a no-brainer. Smoak is not a proven MLB player, while Lind is. If Toronto is serious about contending in 2015, then Smoak should not be considered any type of replacement for Lind.

We cannot even re-sign our hitting coaches with our one-year policy. We cannot attract top-tier level free agent pitchers with out 5 year policy. If we get rid of Lind and replace him with Smoak, might as well do a full rebuild then. This organization is not serious about competing. Might as well be mediocre with a 70 M payroll and rebuild, by trading Reyes, Bautista, Dickey, Beuhrle, etc.