Matt Shoemaker, who’d previously appeared in just over 100 games for the Los Angeles Angels, was signed by the Blue Jays to a major league contract Friday morning.
Matt Shoemaker, 32, signed a major-league contract with the Blue Jays early Friday morning. Since the initial announcement, multiple details regarding his contract have surfaced.
Contract Base
Shoemaker will earn a guaranteed $3.5 million in 2019, reports Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. Jon Morosi of MLB Network had previously estimated that the contract would be worth between $3 million and $3.5 million.
The Blue Jays also control Shoemaker through the 2020 season since he was non-tendered by the Angels. He will be arbitration-eligible for the 2020 season since he has only logged 166 days of major league service, per MLB Trade Rumors.
Incentives
According to Jon Heyman of Fancred, Shoemaker can earn an additional $250,000 if he reaches 150, 160, 170, or 180 innings pitched in 2019. Similarly, Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports previously reported that Shoemaker can earn up to $1 million total in incentives.
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Heyman also adds that he can score award bonuses, though he did not specify how much or for which award. It is likely that he would earn additional sums if he is named an All-Star or competes for a Cy Young Award. It is worth noting that Shoemaker came in second in Rookie of the Year voting in 2014.
Confirmation
The Blue Jays announced the signing Friday afternoon, with Shoemaker himself tweeting that he “couldn’t be more excited…to play for wonderful fans, in this awesome city, with such a great organization”, further adding that he “can’t wait to get this season started”. You can follow Matt Shoemaker on Twitter at @MattShoe52.
Reactions
Jeff Fletcher of the Southern California News Group wished Shoemaker good luck on Twitter, while former MLB pitcher and current Angels colour analyst Mark Gubicza also thanked “Shoe” for “always be[ing] so cool with [him]”.