When the Blue Jays slowly phased Justin Smoak out of the lineup late last season, it was mostly because they wanted to give Rowdy Tellez the playing time and continue to evaluate him in advance of the 2020 season.
The expectation was that Tellez would be handed the first baseman’s job next year, likely coming with some sort of veteran presence to push him to perform his best, but also cover the Blue Jays in the event that he isn’t ready to take over the role.
Signing Shaw fits that sort of mold, as he’s a capable first baseman, as well as having the ability to play at third and second base as well.