The Rangers are adding pitching and parting with a familiar utility man in the process.
Texas is set to send infielder Josh Smith to the Toronto Blue Jays for left-handed pitcher Adam Macko, according to Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that pitching prospect Josh Stephan is also going to Toronto in the deal.
Smith, who helped the Rangers win the 2023 World Series, is currently at Triple-A Round Rock after losing his big league spot. His season took a hit in May when he suffered two injuries and then battled viral meningitis, and he has appeared in just 45 MLB games. While he was sidelined, Ezequiel Duran played well enough to lock down an everyday infield role, pushing Smith back to the minors.
The move marks the Rangers’ second trade ahead of Monday’s 5 p.m. central deadline. Last week, Texas brought in pitcher Chase Silseth and catcher Logan O’Hoppe from the Los Angeles Angels for a prospect.
At that point, the Rangers looked like buyers. Since then, the tone around the club has shifted, with rumors now pointing toward Texas as a seller.
Smith’s Rangers run began when he came over from the New York Yankees in the 2021 trade deadline deal for Joey Gallo. He was one of four players Texas received in that swap, and Duran was another. Smith got to the majors first and carved out a utility role on the 2023 championship team, then carried that into 2024.
He was rewarded for that all-around value with the 2024 American League Silver Slugger as a utility player. But his offense has slipped over the last two seasons.
Smith won the Opening Day second base job this year, only to lose it because of injury. After recovering from meningitis, he’s had two separate stints with Texas, and both times he was optioned back to Round Rock.
Smith leaves the Rangers with a .234/.325/.346 career slash line, along with 32 home runs and 136 RBI. This season, he was hitting just .213/.299/.272.
Macko, a rookie, has worked mostly out of Toronto’s bullpen this year. He is 2-0 with a 4.91 ERA in 22 games, including one start, and has struck out 23 while walking 10 in 22 innings. Toronto has now dealt a pitcher in back-to-back moves, after sending Kevin Gausman to the Chicago Cubs in a trade late Sunday.
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