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Jays extend Smoak for two years
Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2016 4:28 pm
by dagger
http://www.thescore.com/mlb/news/1059307The Toronto Blue Jays have signed first baseman Justin Smoak to a two-year contract extension worth $8.25-million, the team announced Saturday.
The contract also includes a $6-million club option for 2019 that could reach $8-million thanks to escalator clauses based on plate appearances, according to Sportsnet's Shi Davidi.
Smoak was due to become a free agent after this season.
Known more for his glovework at first base than his bat, the switch-hitting Smoak owns a .234/.333/.402 line with nine homers over 82 games this season. In 2015, as part of a first-base platoon with Chris Colabello, he slugged 18 homers to help the Blue Jays reach the postseason for the first time since 1993.
Smoak, drafted 11th overall by the Texas Rangers in 2008, came to the Blue Jays as a waiver claim in October 2014. The 29-year-old owns a career .225/.310/.393 line with 101 home runs in 780 games with the Blue Jays, Rangers, and Seattle Mariners.
Re: Jays extend Smoak for two years
Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2016 4:36 pm
by Lateral Quicks
Well if Bautista isn't back and playing 1B - assuming he's done as an outfielder - I suppose we'll need someone to man 1B. And the hope would be that Tellez can earn the role in the option year. But still, is Smoak really the best we can do for a stopgap? I've never been a fan of paying this kind of salary to a decidedly mediocre player. He's put up 1.9 WAR in 6+ years, and 0 WAR so far this year.
Re: Jays extend Smoak for two years
Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2016 4:37 pm
by polo007
[tweet]https://twitter.com/ShiDavidi/status/754346756385624064[/tweet]
[tweet]https://twitter.com/ShiDavidi/status/754346907481157632[/tweet]
[tweet]https://twitter.com/ShiDavidi/status/754348550276784128[/tweet]
[tweet]https://twitter.com/ShiDavidi/status/754350682119868416[/tweet]
Re: Jays extend Smoak for two years
Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2016 4:40 pm
by ldnk
Yeah, no thanks. I can see the rush to sign the guy hitting .169 over the last two months though.
Re: Jays extend Smoak for two years
Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2016 4:47 pm
by Santoki
I get it but, ugh, Smoak is the worst and his glove is overrated. I was really hoping I never had to watch this guy swing over every single curveball again in my life.
Re: Jays extend Smoak for two years
Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2016 5:28 pm
by Wo1verine
He's cheap so it makes sense for Atkins and Shapiro.
Re: Jays extend Smoak for two years
Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2016 6:08 pm
by EH15
Isn't his position the easiest to find a replacement in the off season?
Re: Jays extend Smoak for two years
Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2016 6:22 pm
by Raps in 4
$4 million/year for a player who can't hit or play anything more than passable defence? I'd love to hear the logic behind the signing.
Re: Jays extend Smoak for two years
Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2016 7:07 pm
by North_of_Border
is Smoak still getting contracts based on Potential?
how old is he?
Re: Jays extend Smoak for two years
Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2016 7:22 pm
by The_Hater
I don't get this at all.
And to whoever called him cheap, paying $4 million a season for a bad offensive 1B isn't cheap, it's reckless. Especially on a team that has a bunch of players who could slide into that position next season.
Re: Jays extend Smoak for two years
Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2016 7:37 pm
by Skin Blues
North_of_Border wrote:is Smoak still getting contracts based on Potential?
how old is he?
He was worth $5M last year despite splitting time with Cola for a bit, and this year he could easily be worth that by the end of the season. It's such a small amount of money, if he's worthy of even platooning at 1B then it's worth it. And of course, yeah, thre's always potential for a guy with that kind of power and plate discipline to put up a huge season. He's not much different than the type of player Adam Lind was the past few years and he was worth a lot more than $4M/year. Low-risk, medium reward.
Re: Jays extend Smoak for two years
Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2016 7:52 pm
by Schad
While $5m buys you a grand total of not too much by WAR value, I'm still not a fan. We're going to need every cent next year, and barely-replacement-level players should be where we're skimping to do so.
Re: Jays extend Smoak for two years
Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2016 9:15 pm
by Randle McMurphy
Reminds me of the 3 year/9M Izturis signing a few years back. Needless, but not exactly damaging either. It's still hard to grasp why they like the guy so much, though.
Re: Jays extend Smoak for two years
Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2016 9:20 pm
by ldnk
Randle McMurphy wrote:Reminds me of the 3 year/9M Izturis signing a few years back. Needless, but not exactly damaging either. It's still hard to grasp why they like the guy so much, though.
He makes me feel better about my own inability to hit the curve ball.
Re: Jays extend Smoak for two years
Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2016 9:22 pm
by Randle McMurphy
ldnk wrote:Randle McMurphy wrote:Reminds me of the 3 year/9M Izturis signing a few years back. Needless, but not exactly damaging either. It's still hard to grasp why they like the guy so much, though.
He makes me feel better about my own inability to hit the curve ball.
He's a perfectly mediocre 1B option and this cheap contract won't prevent them from upgrading there if they want to. But why the multi-year deal?
Re: Jays extend Smoak for two years
Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2016 9:23 pm
by ldnk
Randle McMurphy wrote:ldnk wrote:Randle McMurphy wrote:Reminds me of the 3 year/9M Izturis signing a few years back. Needless, but not exactly damaging either. It's still hard to grasp why they like the guy so much, though.
He makes me feel better about my own inability to hit the curve ball.
He's a perfectly mediocre 1B option and this cheap contract won't prevent them from upgrading there if they want to. But why the multi-year deal?
I can easily be proven wrong but I have a feeling we are slashing payroll.
Re: Jays extend Smoak for two years
Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2016 9:39 pm
by Kurtz
Randle McMurphy wrote:ldnk wrote:Randle McMurphy wrote:Reminds me of the 3 year/9M Izturis signing a few years back. Needless, but not exactly damaging either. It's still hard to grasp why they like the guy so much, though.
He makes me feel better about my own inability to hit the curve ball.
He's a perfectly mediocre 1B option and this cheap contract won't prevent them from upgrading there if they want to. But why the multi-year deal?
How many regular 1B can you think of who are worse than Smoak?
Re: Jays extend Smoak for two years
Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2016 9:54 pm
by Randle McMurphy
Kurtz wrote:Randle McMurphy wrote:ldnk wrote:
He makes me feel better about my own inability to hit the curve ball.
He's a perfectly mediocre 1B option and this cheap contract won't prevent them from upgrading there if they want to. But why the multi-year deal?
How many regular 1B can you think of who are worse than Smoak?
Off the top of my head, Logan Morrison. But there are several others.
Re: Jays extend Smoak for two years
Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2016 9:55 pm
by Randle McMurphy
ldnk wrote:Randle McMurphy wrote:ldnk wrote:
He makes me feel better about my own inability to hit the curve ball.
He's a perfectly mediocre 1B option and this cheap contract won't prevent them from upgrading there if they want to. But why the multi-year deal?
I can easily be proven wrong but I have a feeling we are slashing payroll.
Giving needless multi-year deals out wouldn't support a slashing payroll hypothesis.
Re: Re: Jays extend Smoak for two years
Posted: Sat Jul 16, 2016 10:02 pm
by RalphWiggum
Randle McMurphy wrote:Reminds me of the 3 year/9M Izturis signing a few years back. Needless, but not exactly damaging either. It's still hard to grasp why they like the guy so much, though.
It may be damaging when the Jays hold hard on 18 million for Edwin instead of the 22 his agent wants and we get spoon fed crap that they were at the top of their budget and couldn't afford him.