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Blue Jays sign Wolverine…err Luke Scott to minor league deal

By Kyle Franzoni

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A week after losing a similar left-handed bat to a roster crunch, the Toronto Blue Jays went trolling in the Mexican League to add depth to their Triple-A roster. According to Chris Cotillo of MLB Daily Dish, the Blue Jays have inked Luke Scott to a minor league deal and he will report to the Buffalo Bisons later this week.

Now 36-years-old, Luke Scott last appeared at the Major League level with the Tampa Bay Rays in 2013, hitting .241/.326/.415 with nine home runs and 40 RBI in 91 games of action. Primarily a designated hitter during the latter days of his time in the majors, Scott is a career .258/.340/.481 hitter in a career that has seen stops in Houston, Baltimore, and Tampa Bay.

It was his time in Baltimore where the lefty really broke out, averaging 21 home runs and 59 RBI over his four years in Baltimore. That also led Scott to running his mouth extensively after leaving Baltimore, when dropped the following missive about Red Sox fans:

"“Just their arrogance,” Scott said. “The fans come in and they take over the city. They’re ruthless. They’re vulgar. They cause trouble. They talk about your family. Swear at you. Who likes that? When people do that, it just gives you more incentive to beat them. Then when things like [the last game of last season] happen, you celebrate even more. You go to St. Louis — classiest fans in the game. You do well, there’s no vulgarity. You know what? You don’t wish them bad.” (h/t Big League Stew)"

So where has Luke Scott been over the last couple of seasons?

He spent 2014 in the Korean Baseball League, playing for the SK Wyverns. In jut 33 games, Scott managed to hit six home runs, seven doubles, and drive in 17 in the hitter-friendly Korean parks. Toronto found Scott toiling in the Mexican League this spring, where he’s made 28 appearances for Los Pericos de Puebla and was off to a .292/.400/.519 start, hitting seven home runs and driving in 27 in the process.

Scott will head to Buffalo and join a Bisons roster that lost another big lefty bat in Andy Wilkins last week. Wilkins and right-hander Matt West were designated for assignment when the Blue Jays needed his 40-man roster spot to make room for Scott Copeland and Ezequiel Carrera, with both later being traded to the Dodgers for cash considerations.

If he can figure things out quickly at Buffalo, this may be Scott’s last chance at making a Major League roster. Scott profiles well in terms of on-base skills, and his past power at the Major League level may be enticing if the Blue Jays are looking to make a move with the under-performing and basically forgotten Justin Smoak.

At the very least, Scott could change career direction, taking his mutton chops to the big screen. I hear the X-Men franchise will soon be looking to replace Hugh Jackman as Wolverine.

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