Blue Jays sign Steve Pearce

I went to bed, last night, hearing that the Jays were about to sign Mitch Moreland, and I couldn’t figure out why.

I wake up this morning and we’ve signed Steve Pearce. Pearce will make $12.5 million over the next two seasons.

Pearce is 33 (turns 34 in April). He’s played 10 seasons, has a .254/.333/.441 batting line, with 215 home runs. Last year, splitting his season between the Rays and the Orioles, he hit .288/.374/.492 with 13 home runs.

He’s mostly a first baseman (wave bye to Edwin), also plays the corner outfield spots (career 1.2 UZR/150) and, over the last two seasons, he’s played 242 innings at second base (I’m hoping we don’t see him there much). How many guys start playing middle infield in their 30s after being a first baseman/corner outfielder?

I would think the plan is to platoon him at first with Justin Smoak, until they decide Smoak isn’t going to hit again and then he’ll be more or less full time at first. That’s my guess.

He’s better vs LHP, .852 career OPS vs lefties, but not awful vs RHP, career .728.

I would think this means we are out on Edwin Encarnacion, but I’ve been wrong before.

After this the team should have roughly $25 million in payroll left. Fowler plus a couple of bullpen arms?