Trade interest in Blue Jays first baseman Justin Smoak is “picking up,” tweets Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet. MLB Network’s Jon Heyman connected the Indians to Smoak earlier today, and Nicholson-Smith adds the Rays as a team of interest as well. Several contenders have expressed interest in Smoak, per Nicholson-Smith. Notably, he’s not in the lineup tonight for the Blue Jays.
Toronto has been one of the few clear sellers on the summer market, having already departed with Marcus Stroman and David Phelps in the past 48 hours. The 32-year-old Smoak, a free agent following the 2019 season, is a logical player to deal away, too, even if the return on him doesn’t prove overwhelming. Smoak won’t be a candidate to receive a qualifying offer, so there’s added incentive to take the most appealing option presented between now and tomorrow afternoon’s trade deadline.
The switch-hitting Smoak’s batting average is down this season, but he’s walking at a career-best 16.7 percent clip and once again demonstrating above-average power. In 359 plate appearances, he’s hit .215/.357/.427 — good for a 110 OPS+ and a 108 wRC+ (which is to say he’s been about eight to ten percent better than league average from an offensive standpoint, even after accounting for his hitter-friendly home park). Smoak’s 19.8 percent strikeout rate is actually the lowest of his career, and he’s not popping up at an exorbitant level either. Rather, the key to his diminished average could be a fluky .220 average on balls in play (which checks in well south of his career .267 level).
Smoak is earning a reasonable $8MM salary in 2019 with about $2.71MM of that sum yet to be paid out between now and season’s end. With the Jays dealing away short-term assets, it seems likely that Smoak will be wearing a new uniform this time tomorrow.
mark1125
If bat rental is what people are after, I’d prefer Castellanos. I don’t think he’d cost much.
Brentg55
D is horrible though
ntorsky
It’s not horrible. It’s not even bad. I watch him play every day, I’d put it closer to “below average.” He’s obviously not fantastic but he’s not even close to the black hole he’s made out to be.
aamatho18
It’s bad
rossman1970
it’s not good. it’s bad.
vtadave
-6 DRS is pretty bad
sufferforsnakes
When it comes to defense, who’s worse, Castellanos or Melky Cabrera?
ntorsky
Derek Jeter had -152 DRS from 2003 to the end of his career. Defensive metrics need to get a lot better before I buy into them.
Codeeg
Good thing teams are bought into them and not you.
dixoncayne
I hear they have the DH now
oldleftylong
D is over-rated. Nicky is a ball bashed.
rodster
Since the Jays got stiffed as usual on trades to date, why not get on the gravy train and steal Smoak for nothing?
toomuchpie
Who forced the Jays to accept those trades?
rodster
Well er uh, the Blue Jays?
musha203
They did not get stiffed they got Anthony Kay from the antes and he looks like a decent arm
Mystery Team
They got stiffed and by the Mets no less.
myaccount
Kay is barely outside the top 100 and was in it in a few preseason rankings while Woods-Richardson is intriguing; I don’t understand where this “Jays got stiffed” narrative is coming from.
jaysfansince1977
It is the hate towords management by some posters who know nothing about baseball! It’s the same posters who forget the Jays got David Price for 3 prospects, but the great AA made that trade and oh wait he made all the trades that got us that 2013 WS Championship too!
Down with OBP
Wait….which three prospects did we give up for (the rental) Price and what were their rankings at the time? I really don’t think you meant to prove their point.
Matt Galvin
Tonight Rays or Astros or Twins?
Tristan Gilbert
Not twins
chuckknobluntz
Smoak em if you got em
jorge78
Badda Bing!
depressedtribefan
Be nice to get another bat for the Indians line up
Matt Galvin
Indians? If your Trading Bauer to free up some money.
Wahoo What a Finish!
Yeah. But not Justin Smoak. Would literally add nothing to the Indians offense.
jimmertee
As usual Atkins waits to long to trade Smoak. It was called over and over in these pages to trade him last year but no, the Jays wait and he is in a down year. Moderate prospect on the way….
Dexxter
In today’s age where bat only sluggers are not in high demand… I can’t imagine he would have brought much more than a moderate prospect last year either.
infractor
In fairness, he’s not bat-only. Smoak is a qualify fielder, albeit at a less than premium position.
That also said, Jimmy is always looking to gripe so your reasoning would fall on deaf ears anyway.
jimmertee
I call it on both positive and negative. I guess you read the negative only.
Just play ball
Pretty negative
jaysfansince1977
Jimmy you have never called anything positive in the 5 years i have been on here so quit making stuff up again!
jimmertee
Why do I bother? Here are a number of positive calls that I have made in the last 5 years; The list is endless….
Ohtani would be a plus position player but not a pitcher due to injury
Most of the time before the playoffs even started:
accurately called the Royals to win WS in 2015
accurately called the Giants to win in 2014
accurately called the Cubs to win WS in 2016
accurately called the Bosox to win WS in 2018
Scouted and called in advance manyJays singings as positive bad moves to save them money and wasting time: too many to list [Latos, JP Howell, Ngoeope, Coglan, Salty, Bolsinger,
Called Gurriel Jr to be very good to elite years ago
Called Biggio to be a very good player
Long ago called Sean Ried Foly of the Jays to be a #4 at the MLB level, and if he develops control of a changeup he could be a #2
Called the leafs to lose to Boston and Stl Louis Blues to win the Stanley cup before playoffs even started
Like others called Vlad jr to be a star but at 1b not third before he ever played a MLB level game.
Accurately called the Blue Jays to break up the team and totally rebuild after the 2016 season
Called the Jays to trade Bautista, Donaldson, Smoak, etc etc in 2016 long before the Jays mgmt did actually change things
Accurately called T Hernandez to have a power bat, but be weak defensively
The list goes on and on. and on
Mtog
Predicted any lottery numbers?
jimmertee
No big winners…..yet. 🙂
its_happening
Jaysfan you said some negative things above about the fanbase. Yet someone else isn’t allowed to voice displeasure over an organization that’s been somewhat of a joke and poorly run for over 20 years? Get real. There is a lot of negative surrounding this baseball team. If nobody calls them out on it that is a big problem. Stop complaining.
ntorsky
Tough to call it a down year. .360 OBP is pretty damn good, and he’s hitting balls hard all over the place. Primed for some positive regression.
dray16
Brewers could use a first baseman
oldleftylong
Don’t do it!
matt4baseball
Smoak will be a very good addition for the Rays. he shouldn’t cost much in talent , gets on base, hits for RH or LH power. Sounds good to cover the offense but we need a closer to make a proper run at the Yanks and WC.
rocky7
Yeh, and all that’s wrapped up in a .215 average!
Matt Galvin
Heyman says he will be moved and that Jon Heyman
@JonHeyman
·
8m
Hearing SF is still talking to teams regarding MadBum and Indians are doing the same with Bauer. So not impossible those 2 still get moved. Per Ken Rosenthal Reds are in on Bauer and Trammell part of Talks.
ballcity141
Where there’s Smoak… I’ll see myself out.
oldleftylong
Spot on.
Louholtz22
Smoak to the Red Sox for a prospect. If I’m the Sox I take Thames from the Brewers for Hembree
musha203
Lmao the Red Sox don’t have any valuable prospects that’s why they backed out on Edwin Diaz and on a few other trades because the conversation starts with a major league talent.
bigdaddyt
Starting bid is an autographed Wayne Gretzky rookie card. If not enough interest willing to drop down to used copy of a magazine his wife appeared in 30 something years ago
jaysfansince1977
Ok, quess we all now know you have no baseball savy, pretty uninformed post there bigdaddyt, hope your not coaching little league!!
gcv
I don’t know why they’re in such a hurry to get rid of smoak. They won’t get anything for him – look at what the mariners got for Edwin.