OAKLAND, Calif. – The Toronto Blue Jays secured one of their pending free agents by signing first baseman Justin Smoak to an $8.25-million, two-year deal Saturday that includes a $6 million option or $250,000 buyout for the 2019 season.
The deal includes escalators that can push the option up to $8 million. A combined 950 plate appearances over 2017 and ’18 takes the option to $7 million, 1,000 takes it to $7.5 million and 1,100 takes it to $8 million.
The Blue Jays now have $88.625 million in guarantees to Smoak, Troy Tulowitzki, Russell Martin, Josh Donaldson, J.A. Happ and Marco Estrada in 2017.
Smoak is batting .234/.333/.402 with nine homers and 23 RBIs in 82 games this season.