The Toronto Blue Jays signed Justin Smoak to a one-year, $1-million deal Wednesday afternoon, less than 24 hours after non-tendering the 27-year-old first baseman, the team announced.
The Blue Jays claimed Smoak off waivers from the Seattle Mariners in October, but were unwilling to pay him the $3 million he was projected to earn through arbitration, prompting the club to non-tender him.
Smoak, the 11th overall pick in the 2008 draft, nevertheless remained an asset the club wished to retain despite his largely underwhelming body of work in the majors thus far. Though he boasts just 94 OPS+ over his five-year career, Smoak is still expected to receive at least semi-regular playing time and could comprise the left-handed element of a platoon at designated hitter.
