Toronto, ON (SportsNetwork.com) – The Toronto Blue Jays signed first baseman
Justin Smoak to a one-year, $1 million contract on Wednesday, just one day
after he was non-tendered by the team.
Smoak, claimed off waivers by the Blue Jays from Seattle on Oct. 28, would
have earned a larger salary through arbitration if Toronto had offered him a
contract by Tuesday’s deadline.
The switch-hitting Smoak is coming off a disappointing final season with the
Mariners, batting a career-low .202 with seven home runs and 30 RBI over 80
games while spending a portion of the year in Triple A. He hit 20 homers to go
along with a .238 average for Mariners the previous season.
Smoak, a .224 career hitter in the majors with 74 homers in 566 games, is
expected to compete for a starting job following Toronto’s offseason trade of
Adam Lind to Milwaukee.
