In 2009, Adam Lind was smashing major league pitching around. He hit .305/.370/.562 with 35 home runs and 114 RBI, and ranked 15th in American League MVP voting.

He was just 25 years old! Young hitters who smack baseballs around like this can only get better, right? Lind was just entering his prime and would continue improving!

Nothing could possibly go wrong with this plan, except it did. Lind declined the next two seasons and then fell off the proverbial baseball hitters' cliff this season; batting just .186/.273/.314, this was the inevitable result:

#BlueJays' announcement: Lind to AAA, 1B/3B Yan Gomes to majors. Lind earning $5M.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) May 17, 2012

Yan Gomes has been in the Blue Jays' organization since 2009. When he makes his first game appearance for the Jays, he will become the first major league player born in Brazil. He's been waxing Triple-A pitching at a .359/.391/.565 clip in 131 at-bats so far this season. Most likely, he's just keeping the seat warm for Vladimir Guerrero, who recently signed with the Blue Jays and is at their extended spring training camp before possibly heading for game action near the Las Vegas strip.

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