The Blue Jays have announced a pair of corresponding transactions. Outfielder Dwight Smith Jr. was designated for assignment in order to clear roster space for righty Clay Buchholz, whose previously reported deal is now official.
Smith, 26, has spent most of the past two seasons at Triple-A, where he carries a .271/.354/.401 slash with 14 home runs over 810 plate appearances. Notably, the left-handed-hitter has shown good plate discipline, with a combination of 91 walks and 124 strikeouts at the highest level of the minors.
It’s hardly a world-beating profile for a player who has mostly lined up in left field. But Smith has performed well in his limited opportunities at the game’s highest level, even if it’s hard to glean much from 104 plate appearances. And he has logged significant innings at the other two outfield spots, increasing his viability as a big-league bench option. With an option season still remaining, perhaps another organization will see cause to work out a trade or put in a claim.
you really do seem to like the word “world-beating,” Jeff.
Moves like this are why the Blue Jays are going nowhere. Basically throwing away a former first round pick that’s going to be snagged on waivers fast.
Dalton Pompey is still in the mix.
Don’t hold your breath, … You’ll turn blue, Monday.
They couldn’t trade this guy for something? He’s gonna be unemployed for 5 seconds.
I think that’s the point – to announce he’s available via trade. Some team with a later waiver claim will make a non-40 man player available. Even Zack Granite didn’t clear waivers.
Smith’s stats make him look almost like a poor-man’s Lorenzo Cain
*utterly destitute man’s Lorenzo Cain
That said, he could be a good fourth OF pickup for several teams.
Cain is a far better fielder.
Hard to believe Dwight was the odd-man out here, seems like a more or less solid Triple-A piece.
Hope some team picks him up and he does well. Would rather have around than Pompey.
Also it’s crazy to think that Blake Snell was taken with the pick before him. Crazy to think how things could’ve been different (although I guess every team could say that since they had a chance to take him).
I wouldn’t be surprised if either Cleveland or San Francisco gave him a chance. There are far worse options out there.
Agreed
As an Indians fan they were my first thought too. They have a lot of options in the mix so they might not want him, but none of those options are especially thrilling so it doesn’t hurt to add more.
Does this guy play center? Would love my Sox to ditch like half of our MLB scrubs and insert this guy into the lineup.
I bet they seriously considered taking Travis off the 40 man.
Travis isn’t going anywhere but the DL in mid-April.
Problem is you have too many outfielders on the way up. If their scouting dept likes Alford & Pompey & Forrest Wall (and possibly Biggio as an outfielder) more than Dwight Smith, then what’s the point of keeping him around? Sending him back down is hurting the player’s chances of becoming a big leaguer some day…
Too bad for Dwight…. He has a solid OBP profile with a dreamy leg kick. He showed very well in his limited MLB stints and I figured he had a chance as a 4th OF option as a lefty bat. Especially on a team like the Jays who are supposed to be rebuilding, only to loose out to a 34 year old not well liked by Jays fans.
How much money for Clay?
I wonder if blue jays plan to use pitchers as position players with all the pitching they are signing.
They probably will, if only because people need another reason to complain about Stroman.
This apparently means Buckholtz passed his physical. Could be a very good move for Jays.
And ya, I’m sure they’ll get SOMETHING for Smith; can’t see him on the waiver wire.
The Brewers have some 40 man roster spots coming available with guys like Saladino, Krantz and other players who won’t have options to use and they won’t make the 25 man roster spots so will have to be dfa’d. The only problem is that he is almost exactly the same as Gamel. The Brewers like guys who make contact and dont strike out much. Think we have couple of young bullpen arms that are good enough to be in the majors but no room that we could deal or possibly Chase Anderson
Smith hasn’t shown quite enough upside in his bat to overcome his defensive metrics. But he does hit — hope someone gives him enough ABs to prove himself useful.
Giants should sign him! I know this has gotten comical at this point, but yeah. Since we are going with the platoon at the corners we need a LHH (assuming Shaw starts in AAA, which he prolly should).
Parra in RF against RHP and Smith Jr. in LF against RHP. The other sides of platoon is anyone’s guess.
Go Giants!
So Jays sign Buchholz hoping he has value at the trade deadline to be able to trade him for a guy like Dwight Smith JR.
I don’t know about that. Smith is what he is. A fairly average fourth outfielder that isn’t great at anything. They’d probably be trading Buchholz for a lower level lotto pick or two who might not have a floor like Smith but don’t have a set ceiling.
And I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with Smith. His particular skill set does have some value, I hope he can carve out some regular playing time in Miami or Baltimore and succeed.
I agree, and you have nominated some good possible landing spots for him too. As a Pirate fan I would want the Bucs to take a look at him if they hadn’t already brought in Chisenhall and Melky. I feel like if Smith can embrace a bench role, at least for now, he can be around awhile. The “good at some things but not great at anything” skill set has served many a backup outfielder well.
His father had a pretty decent big league career while having a very similar skill set: lefty corner OF who hit for a good average with a little power, could get on base, decent in the bases, not great in the field. Jr. isn’t going to get many chances in Toronto but he’d be a good bench bat or part-time starter for a number of teams.
That’s what I was thinking, the Apple didn’t fall far from the tree.
Move had to happen. Smith wasn’t going to factor into any future plans for the Blue Jays. He’s already in his late-20’s and pretty much ran out of opportunities, albeit very limited opportunities.
Fact is, Smith is not a very good defensive outfielder. He would have been a major league player if he was. Poor route runner. If he had been able to improve on that side he would have had a better shot at sticking in the big leagues. Offensively he had done enough to be given a shot to stay on the 25-man roster.
Braves should go get him. Former top prospect, home town boy. I’m a big believer in creating healthy competition for the young players and markakis isn’t gonna be around forever, so a spot might be open soon for a bunch of young guys to fight for. Think he would be good to add to the mix
He was never that highly rated as a prospect.
Forgive me, top organizational prospect or top 30. Regardless, meant there was enough talent that people saw in him to take a flyer on him. Plus it’s not like he’s terrible. Might be a good 4th OF.
And yes. Not highly ranked there but in the top 30 nonetheless
Blue Jays Outfield review:
Dwight Smith Jr, good bat, some pop, always hits, fair defence and gone?
Dalton Pompey: can’t hit at MLB level, can’t run routes in outfield, can steal bases. Still on 40 man? Huh?
Kevin Pillar, Mr reliable, 15 hrs 50 RBI, 15 SB, above average defence, managers dream.
Billy Mckinney, Strickly Platoon hitter, can’t hit lefties, runs lousy routes, has some pop, plus arm. moved to 1st base. Why on the team?
Randal Grichuk: Decent bat, Good Pop, Great Arm, Great routes, Plus defence, can disappear for months at a time at the plate. Good 3rd outfielder.
Anthony Alford: Highest ceiling possibility of Jays outfield. only playing ball 5 years and needs to learn the game especially at top level. Plus arm, great speed, Fragile. great prospect..
Teoscar Fernandez: As said here when Jays traded for him: Great power, Great arm, Can’t run routes to save his llfe, poor defensive decisions. Another 1B guy?
Johnathon Davis: Blazing speed, good routes and defence, average arm, less bat than Pillar.Meh.
Who are the elite players from this group? Where are the elite players that can win a championship from this group?
Smith Jr is Pompey with less speed in the outfield. Nowhere should it ever say he’s a good defender. He was awful during his short stints out there in Toronto.
Pompey’s speed and the 2014-15 faith from AA holdovers have kept him on the 40-man. He is a by-product of why Baseball Canada needs an overhaul. They should be the ones leading the charge on fundamental baseball for every elite program in Canada.
McKinney’s on the team because he can run. Team loves his power. Should start in AAA this season.
Teoscar could have moved to 1B had management traded Smoak and Morales. He has the first 4 months to prove he can play LF.
Davis should be the 4th OF. Plays hard. Better than Roeman Fields.
Can’t ask for the current players to be “elite”. Otherwise they’d be contenders. Alford is the epitome of the AA regime’s failures; draft an athlete, prop up his prospect ranking, feed fans a false narrative and now everyone wants to buy into his future as a major league player. He’s had 5 years and can’t hack in the minors. If you can’t hit in the minors you won’t hit in the majors. Anthony Gose proved that. Alford is probably a lost cause and we Jays fans need to accept that.
I’m going to give Alford 2 more years of [good] development.
I always liked Dwight Smith Jr despite the warts. He is going to be on an MLB club somewhere this year.
Perhaps the Jays can unload a boatload of these “non elite” guys for one elite prospect.
On the team now, I see Jansen, Gurriel Jr,, Borucki, and Tellez as possible guys to build around. The rest is trade fodder.I am thinking Sanchez, and Giles will have a great year and can return some nice pieces. Perhaps they can get something for Smoak too.
2 more years? Alford’s turning 25. He does not have 2 years.
He should have been traded in 2016 or even 2017 if Atkins was all about winning. Alford actually had (some) value. Now not so much.
Borucki’s not a lock to make the team with the Clay signing. They should sent Richard to the bullpen but we’ll see. I’m sure Borucki has allowed all this to affect him. I’m also sure this is management’s way of testing the young player. I don’t like it.
Tellez will be in AAA also. So this supposed “youth movement” isn’t starting yet.