Jake Smolinski Explained

Jacob Michael Smolinski (born February 9, 1989) is an American former professional baseball left fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers and Oakland Athletics, and in the KBO League for the NC Dinos.

Amateur career

Born and raised in Rockford, Illinois, Smolinski attended Boylan Catholic High School where he also starred in football as a quarterback.^[1] In baseball, Smolinski was a shortstop and pitcher. As a senior, Smolinski batted .441 with 13 home runs and 49 RBIs.^[2]

Professional career

Washington Nationals

Smolinski was drafted as a left fielder and third baseman by the Washington Nationals in the second round of the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft, out of high school.

Florida Marlins

On November 10, 2008, he was traded to the Florida Marlins along with Emilio Bonifacio and P. J. Dean for Josh Willingham and Scott Olsen.^[3]

Texas Rangers

He signed a minor league deal with the Texas Rangers in December 2013.^[4] Smolinski was called up to the majors for the first time on July 7, 2014.

Oakland Athletics

Smolinski was claimed off waivers by the Oakland Athletics on June 21, 2015. He declared free agency on October 15, 2018.

Tampa Bay Rays

On November 15, 2018, Smolinski signed a minor-league contract with the Tampa Bay Rays.^[5] On July 2, 2019, Smolinski was granted a release from Triple-A Durham to pursue options in Korea.^[6]

NC Dinos

On July 2, 2019, Smolinski signed with the NC Dinos of the KBO League.^[7] He became a free agent following the season.

Notes and References

1. Web site: IHSFW.com's Boylan Catholic Home Page. ihsfw.com. September 29, 2015.
2. Web site: One Of Illinois' Best: Jake Smolinski. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304130426/http://ssbaseball.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=622929. 2016-03-04.
3. Web site: Florida Marlins trade Josh Willingham, Scott Olsen to Washington Nationals. ESPN.com. November 11, 2008. September 29, 2015.
4. Web site: Texas Rangers add minor-league outfielder Jake Smolinski. Texas Rangers Blog. September 29, 2015. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20151001072439/http://rangersblog.dallasnews.com/2013/12/texas-rangers-add-minor-league-outfielder.html/. October 1, 2015. mdy-all.
5. Web site: Minor League Transactions: Nov 6 - Nov 21. Baseball America. Matt. Eddy. November 22, 2018. November 22, 2018.
6. Web site: Korea's NC Dinos Sign Christian Friedrich, Jake Smolinski . July 2, 2019 . MLB Trade Rumors . July 2, 2019.
7. Web site: Jake Smolinski: Headed to KBO . CBS Sports . July 2, 2019.