The Toronto Blue Jays acquired Justin Smoak from the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday, and that could signal the end of Adam Lind's tenure with the American League club.
The Blue Jays plucked the 27-year-old first baseman/designated hitter from the Mariners off waivers, and it creates a logjam at the corner position for Toronto. Lind, 31, was used as a platoon player for the Blue Jays during the 2014 Major League Baseball season, sharing first base and the designated hitting duties with slugger Edwin Encarnacion.
Right fielder Jose Bautista can also play first base when the need arises, and now Smoak has been added to the mix.
Lind, who played almost exclusively against right-handed pitchers, hit a sizzling .354 this past season, the highest batting average in the majors for a left-handed hitter. Trouble is, Lind was terrible against lefties, hitting a miniscule .061 (two-for-33) in limited at-bats.
The Blue Jays have the option of picking up a $7.5-million option on Lind's contract for 2015 (they could buy him out for $1-million). There have been reports in the last week that Lind is drawing interest on the trade market. The fact that Toronto general manager Alex Anthopoulos has added another first baseman/DH to his roster lends some credence to those rumours.
The 27-year-old Smoak endured a disappointing offensive season with the Mariners in 2014. He appeared in 80 games, batting just .202 with seven home runs and 30 RBIs.
Smoak's contract is also appealing to the Blue Jays, with a $3.65-million option for 2015 or a $150,000 buyout.