Toronto Blue Jays Trade For Infielder Josh Smith

The Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to a trade with the Texas Rangers for infielder Josh Smith and right-handed pitcher Josh Stephan in exchange for left-handed pitcher Adam Macko. The news was confirmed by ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Monday.

Smith, now in his fifth MLB season, all with the Rangers, has hit .234/.325/.346 with 32 home runs and 136 RBIs in his career. This year, his numbers have been slightly down at .213/.299/.272, but he’ll now get a fresh start with the Blue Jays.

Alongside Smith, the Blue Jays also acquired right-handed pitcher Josh Stephan. Stephan has steadily worked his way through the Rangers’ minor league system and is currently in Triple-A, where he holds a 5-6 record with a 5.44 ERA in 21 games this season.

The Blue Jays currently sit at the bottom of the AL East with a 52-60 record. They are 13.5 games out of first place and will need a serious turnaround over the next two months if they hope to make the playoffs.

In exchange for Smith and Stephan, the Blue Jays are giving up LHP Adam Macko. Macko made his MLB debut back in May and has pitched 22 innings for the Blue Jays this season, posting a 2-0 record with a 4.91 ERA and 23 strikeouts.

The Rangers get a young left-handed option they’ll hope can help shore up their pitching staff as they look to claw back into first place in a very competitive AL West division. Texas is currently 55-57 and sits 2.5 games behind the Houston Astros.

Check out our MLB page for more stories like Mariners Trade for Outfielder Taylor Ward!

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