There was no one questioning the Texas Rangers' decision to go get Cliff Lee back in July 2010 from the Seattle Mariners, but with that said, there was some sadness in the fact that the Rangers had to give up one of their top prospects to get the ace pitcher they'd long coveted.
That's because the Rangers gave up their first baseman of the future in Justin Smoak, who immediately became the Mariners' first baseman of the future after the trade. That never worked out, and of course Lee helped pitch the Rangers to their first AL pennant after pitching the do-or-die Game 5 in complete-game fashion to lift the Rangers to their first postseason series win in club history.
On Tuesday, Smoak's tenure in Seattle was finished as he was claimed off waivers by the Toronto Blue Jays.
Smoak batted .202 with 13 doubles, seven homers and 30 RBIs in 2014, after hitting a career-high .238 last year. He spent much of 2014 in the minors after losing the starting first base job to Logan Morrison. I think you can safely say the Rangers won that deal.
