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Where There’s Smoak, There’s An Extension For The Jays’ First Baseman

The Jays have signed Justin Smoak to a two year extension, as reported by Sportsnet’s Barry Davis.

Smoak is in his second season with the Blue Jays. He was initially drafted in the first round by the Texas Rangers, then was traded to the Seattle Mariners in the Cliff Lee trade. Smoak never really reached his first round potential with the Mariners, and was released after the 2014 season. The Blue Jays signed him to a one-year, $1 million contract, and then extended him for another season at $3.9 million. This extension ensures he will be with the team at least two more seasons, barring a trade.

Smoak had his best season in 2015 with the Blue Jays, finishing with a slash line of .226/.299/.470, splitting first base duties with Chris Colabello, and often appearing as a defensive replacement when Colabello or Edwin Encarnacion played first. He started well in 2016, and cooled off in June, though his July has been a little bit better. His playing first base has always been a bit of a luxury for the Jays: he’s not as good a hitter as most first basemen, but because the Jays have premium hitters at so many other positions, they could afford to keep someone like Smoak on the roster.

The Jays have a lot of prominent players becoming free agents at the end of this season, and Smoak was rarely mentioned among them. Despite a first-round pedigree, at 29, Smoak’s skills are well established: he’s a first baseman who is a good defender, and can hit for a little bit of power, though never well enough to stay in the lineup every day. With Colabello’s suspension, and this contract extension, Smoak’s place on the team is secure. This also makes a trade for a corner outfielder this season (as has been rumored the last several days) less likely, with Smoak being the likely victim of that kind of trade. The Jays appear comfortable with Smoak’s skill set, given the makeup of the team, and want some certainty as they come into an uncertain off-season.

Lead Photo: Nick Turchiaro-USA Today Sports

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