The San Francisco Giants have reportedely added one more piece to its puzzle in the form of veteran Justin Smoak. The 33-year-old was released by the Milwaukee Brewers earlier in September, but San Francisco sees some value as it targets a wild card birth. The report regarding the signing came Wednesday afternoon.
A day after being released by the #Brewers, Justin Smoak has already landed with a new team: https://t.co/tkpiumLbvl pic.twitter.com/INDOJCEQBm
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) September 9, 2020
Giants Sign Justin Smoak
Smoak was not good with Milwaukee to start 2020. The veteran switch-hitter had 126 plate appearances in 33 games. He posted a .186/.262/.381 slash line with five home runs, 40 strikeouts, ten walks and a career-worst 69 OPS+. Smoak slashed .208/.342/.406 with a 101 OPS+ with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2019. That makes his collapse with the Brewers all the more disappointing. The team was expecting him to help boost an already-competitive roster but that did not happen.
The Oakland Athletics originally drafted him in the 16th-round out of high school in the 2005 Amateur Draft, but he elected to attend college and improve his draft stock. The Texas Rangers drafted him in the first round of the 2008 Amateur Draft. He debuted for the Rangers in 2010 but was traded to the Seattle Mariners almost immediately as a 23-year-old. Smoak’s most productive years came after the Blue Jays claimed him off waivers in 2014. He hit .237/.338/.459 with 117 home runs for the Canadian franchise. His overall numbers are .229/.322/.419 with 196 home runs in 4744 plate appearances.
What This Means for the Future
This is purely a depth move for the Giants. They have been very solid at both first base and designated hitter in 2020. The team has received a combined 3.0 WAR between two positions. Brandon Belt and Wilmer Flores have been the anchors at those two positions and both have an OPS+ of 125 or better. Smoak won’t replace either of them, but he could take over backup duties from Pablo Sandoval. The 33-year-old has been below replacement value in 2020 so San Francisco likely sees Smoak as a low-cost option for the season’s final weeks.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
