1:35PM: The Giants have announced the signing, noting that Smoak signed a minor league deal and has been added to the 60-man player pool.
1:01PM: The Giants have agreed to sign free agent first baseman Justin Smoak, MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports (Twitter link). Smoak was released by the Brewers yesterday.
Smoak came to Milwaukee on a one-year contract worth $5MM in guaranteed money ($4MM in salary, and $1MM on a buyout of a $5.5MM club option for 2021). Over 126 plate appearances this season, Smoak simply never got on track, hitting .186/.262/.381 with five home runs and eventually becoming an expendable piece. The Brewers will eat the remainder of the salary owed to Smoak this season, minus the prorated minimum salary that will be paid by the Giants for however much time Smoak sees in the big leagues over the final two-plus weeks.
The 22-21 Giants are currently in possession of a wild card berth, in part due to major contributions from such unheralded acquisitions as Mike Yastrzemski, Donovan Solano, and Alex Dickerson. 2020 numbers aside, Smoak has more of a proven track record, and was an All-Star as recently as the 2017 season. His numbers have been on the decline since that breakout year, though his pedestrian 2019 statistics were underlined by some very impressive Statcast numbers that have generally not carried over to this season.
A change of scenery could perhaps be what Smoak needs to spark his bat, and on paper, a revived Smoak would help the Giants replace the production they expected from Hunter Pence — another veteran who had a tough 2020 season and was recently released. Smoak could occasionally spell Brandon Belt at first base and also see some time at DH. Since Mauricio Dubon has now essentially become San Francisco’s full-time center fielder, it creates a bit more room for Smoak to join Pablo Sandoval as the team’s primary backup infielders, with Belt, Solano, Brandon Crawford, and Evan Longoria starting around the diamond and Wilmer Flores also seeing a good chunk of time at first base, second base, and DH.
“playoff contenders”
Their lineup is a legit contending lineup
The more I watch baseball this year, the less I think it’s legitimate. Injuries, bad behavior, bad schedules, politics etc. Let’s hurry up & get it done. Hopefully next year its back to normal, if it isn’t, I’m done.
Um they’re in playoff position
The Giants. Lol
Yeah it’s funny the Giants will make the playoffs but the Yankees won’t. Lol lol lol
@27…Yankees. Lol. As of today, The Giants have a better record than your team. You look more foolish than ever….
The Giants are a mediocre team that’s spent most of this short season below .500 . They are not a legitimate playoff team in a regular season. And certainly aren’t even in the same conversation as the Yankees . The Yankees have been hurt.
Baseball stupid Giants fans think they have a team….They don’t. Even in this shortened season, they probably won’t make the 8th seed. And if by some stroke of luck they actually did, they’ll get Blown up in the first round
This 27 rings Yankees doucher is kinda funny. He will literally contradict himself after multiple posts, & sometimes in the same one. Like today’s. “They aren’t a legitimate playoff team in a regular season.” Well Mr. “I just talk facts.” This is the regular season & if season ended today, they are in the playoffs. Hence, they’re contending for the playoffs in the regular season. Granted, a unique regular season & circumstances, but factually speaking, this is MLBs regular season. Every team is dealing with the hand they’ve been dealt. And the Yankees start out every season with at least a full house, while SF started out this hand (season) without even a pair. Yet we’re still at the big boy table & you folded. And your comeback is “Yankees got hurt this year.” Wow! I bet they’re the only team ever to have to deal with injuries. Nut up little man. You’re right about SF & NY not being mentioned in the same breath. Every GM in baseball would rather take SFs team going into to 2021 than the Yankees fiasco of overpaid blue hairs. Our vets are coming off the books next year & our farm is on the rise. Remember this name Kimosabe… Marco Luciano. That guy alone has GMs frothing at the mouth. And quit with your 27 rings, most of them were won pre Roman Empire. Lmk when you have 3 in the last decade. BOOM! Roasted
You got kicked off after I brought up your questionable mental health rightyspecialist. Now your back with the same pointless giants bashing posts? Like I said the first time…. get help dude
Isnt that the Yankees excuse every year? Judge, Stanton and Tanaka are never healthy for a full season. Gary Sanchez is just overrated. Gardner finally had his age catch up to him.. Lucky they signed Cole or this team would be as bad as the Sox this year.
Richard H, Would you feel more comfortable if 27 rings had said “normal” instead of “regular”? I knew what they meant. There is nothing normal or regular about this season. Teams are getting in with records that normally have no business getting in.
Take away the Yankees 8-0 record vs the Double A Pitching staff Red Sox…. what would their record be? 14-21……. Mic Drop!
Fanatic means an excessive and single-minded zeal or obsessively concerned with something. I guess we could say you’re a Giants fan!
Please don’t feed this troll anymore, fellas.
Besides, his comment would be the same whether or not the Giants had the winningest record in MLB; the guy just posts that same comment again and again to see how many goats he can get.
EVERYBODY please please please listen to Scottn59c. Please quit responding to 27. PLEASE!
You either aren’t aware of the standings or the playoff format if you think it is laughable that the giants are called playoff contenders. They are favorites to win a playoff spot at this point
it is laughable because they’re only borderline in playoff position already and have a lineup that’s okay but mostly due for regression with a pitching staff that’s okay but not amazing.
It’s funny yet nobody is laughing besides you.
You can say that they will likely fall out of the playoff picture but I think it is indisputable that they are playoff contenders
2nd in mlb in avg with 2 strikes. 2nd in league in avg when leading off an inning. In last 3 weeks best bullpen in baseball.
The next road trip could change things. San Diego Oakland Seattle.
But here’s the thing. The same people who said the giants were irrelevant a month ago and were a joke organization, etc etc are now responding to playoff contention issues. They’re tied for the 6 seed. Sorry so many are bent by that
“It’s an even year!” hahahahaha
Incredible timing…
Lot of Smoak in the Bay Area today.
Haha, livin’ up to your name, aren’tyathere 😉
Smoak has always been greatly overrated, has never hit for average, and but for a couple seasons of dingers, he will just be taking up space. I’d rather the Giants go with who they’ve got—including giving Shaw one last shot.
It’s just a minor league deal, so who knows if they even bring him up.
He wasn’t overrated when the Blur Jays picked him up after the 2016 season
There’s no fire when there’s no Smoak.
I feel like Smoak is just going to be a bench bat rather than a starter
I want to be the first to say this comment:
Great depth move
C’mon Farhan……. your team is playing well…..where does Smoak fit in??
Veteran bench bat. It’s not like they signed him to a minor league deal to be a superstar. He is basically replacing the vet presence of Hunter Pence.
Casual fans think every move needs to be a blockbuster and laugh at anything that isn’t as if it is pathetic
He fits fine on the taxi squad in case someone Belt, Ruf, or Pablo goes down. Or maybe Pablo gets DFA’d sooner than later.
I think that may happen soon.
@tedtheodorelogan I think its likely Pablo gets DFA’d. Smoak is the same player with better splits against righties. Even though he is struggling this year he’s still got better #’s than Pablo. I think its inevitable and the Giants aren’t worried about covering 3B anymore as they picked up Robertson recently.
If the Giants make the postseason, I will be very confused. I’d much rather see the D-backs.
Sorry, but appears that the Diamondbacks are not going no where this year. I thought they had a chance when the season began, but now is almost unlikely with their record. However, I am glad for the Giants to be in the playoff, they were so close last year.
It’s all Smoak and mirrors.
Sucks for you I guess. Dbacks have fallen apart.
Agreed. We’re garbage lol
All of California is basically on fire, so makes sense they got Smoak now.
well it makes sense to bring smoak to the bay area today when the sky is orange and looks like permadusk
As a depth piece and only a minor league signing, OK. But this guy’s history speaks for itself. He was always overrated and the Rangers were lucky to move him to the Mariners while he still had perceived value.
The Basabe kid the Giants just brought up is also a switch hitter and probably a better hitter than Smoak at this point, making this move all the more confusing.
Now that MLBTR clarified that it’s a minor league signing, it makes a little more sense. He can be stashed at the alternate camp, where he’ll have to prove himself before he comes up (if he ever does).
No one has mentioned it, but he may be here to take Panda’s place. The Giants have kept Sandoval this long mostly out of pity.
@Scottn59c I think Panda is about to be DFA unless they don’t like what they see in Sac alt camp with Smoak. He’s got better splits against righties than Pablo.
Makes sense. The most overrated executive in Zaidi makes a move for his team going nowhere, up or down, with little direction make this kind of move. Makes perfect sense as it makes no sense at all.
This post makes even less sense. How is Zaidi the most overrated executive?
This point will only intensify over time. This won’t get through to you now but give it two, maybe three years when the Giants become the laughingstock of the league. Again, never ever trust an ex-A’s executive who worked under Beane. The best thing Zaidi ever had was working for an already strong Dodger organization. Zaidi deserves no praise for what he has done so far, which is absolutely nothing. By that token he is overrated. The worst is yet to come.
Lol listen to this couch GM
Took a 100 loss team to an above .500 squad in less than two years…
Seriously, what more could you ask for so quickly?
I can’t believe people keep saying stuff about Z, especially Giants fans…
It’s practically a miracle how fast he’s turned what could have easily been 5+ years of just trying to get rid of bad contracts into a team that’s above .500 and currently in line for a playoff spot…what do you want?
He’s done better and in less time than anyone expected
What’s it gonna take for you and your ilk to appreciate his contributions?
You are very vague. What is wrong with the direction of the Giants? Please be specific. Opinions are boring.
Everybody, it’s Tetley. C’mon, facts are irrelevant to this doof. We waste our time.
I will take the other side of “wild bills” original comment and say Zaidi is one of the more underrated GMs/ Pres of BB Ops.
Greeted by bloated, un-tradeable contracts upon his arrival, Zaidi has cobbled together a playoff contender in 2020 against all odds. And to the surprise of many on this site.
I’m not a Giants fan. Nor am I a Smoak fan. But Zaidi looks to have the Giants heading in the right direction.
I share your thoughts – Zaidi has spun straw into gold on several occasions, and the idea of contending while rebuilding is one I had to see to believe.
BTW, what a cute labby in your avatar 😉
This is clearly a troll just spouting a bunch of nonsense.
DubsNation rightyspecialist 27rings lethimtroll is Wild Bill tetley another burner account??????
Yes, I’m pretty sure lethimtroll and 27rings are the same guy. It’s hilarious how pathetic it is.
Spot on Choco
I disagree with you on Wild Bill. He posts on a lot of different articles. But, the other 4 are definitely the same. It only posts on Giants articles. I’ve never seen Dubs on hoopsrumors. A dead give away.
nothing but another Chris Davis at this point.
Smoak is good defensively and he can take a walk along with his home runs. Useful off the bench or part time. If he’s Chris Davis, he’s 2016 or 2017 Chris Davis… and on a much more reasonable contract.
I’d be reasonably sure that if Smoak ever thinks of that guy’s paycheck he WISHES he were another Chris Davis…
He’s a helluva lot better than Chris Davis
This is simply a minor league depth signing in case of injuries. Doesn’t hurt. He’s a decent fielder and on base guy. I doubt he gets an at bat though.
Sandoval has been so bad this season that I wouldn’t rule it out.
Thank goodness he only strikes out 35 percent of the time. For a second I thought the Giants were getting someone who struck out a lot.
Pleasant surprise to see the Basabe kid run the ball down that was hit in the gap last night. Not so sure Dickerson would have, especially with his bum leg. Looks like Zaidi trying to find that lightning in the bottle in case they find a way to make the playoffs, similar to Pat the Bat, Michael Morse, Cody Ross and even Scutaro. Do they get to expand the roster, similar to September call-ups or has that already occurred?
@27rings…. Not only do the Giants have a better record than the lol Yankees, but they also have a a better record in their last 10 games, Yankees are 3 – 7 the Giants are 8 – 2!!!!! Boom mic drop!!!!