Rangers, Blue Jays Complete Josh Smith–Adam Macko Trade
The Texas Rangers have traded utility infielder Josh Smith and minor league right-hander Josh Stephan to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for left-handed pitcher Adam Macko. Since Smith and Macko both occupied spots on their clubs’ 40-man rosters while Stephan did not, the trade does not alter either team’s 40-man roster count.
Smith, 28, brings the most major league experience of the players involved. During the 2024 and 2025 seasons, he established himself as a versatile everyday contributor for Texas, appearing all over the field except at pitcher and catcher. Across 293 games, he hit 23 home runs, stole 23 bases, and posted a .254/.336/.380 batting line, good for a 107 wRC+. According to FanGraphs, he accumulated 4.7 WAR during that span.
However, Smith’s 2026 campaign has been derailed by injuries and inconsistent play. A glute strain landed him on the injured list in May, and while recovering, he was hospitalized with viral meningitis. Although he returned in mid-June, he struggled to regain his form and has since been shuffled between the majors and Triple-A. In 154 major league plate appearances this season, he owns a .213/.299/.272 slash line with just one home run.
Toronto is likely viewing Smith as a low-risk bounce-back candidate. He is earning $3.225 million this season and remains under team control through arbitration for two additional years. Given his disappointing performance, Texas may have been considering a non-tender this offseason.
The Blue Jays will use the remainder of the season to evaluate whether Smith can return to his previous level of production. If he shows improvement, they can retain him through arbitration; if not, they could choose to non-tender him after the season. He also has all of his minor league options remaining, providing roster flexibility.
For Texas, the return centers on strengthening the bullpen with Macko. The 25-year-old left-hander was acquired by Toronto from Seattle in the 2022 trade that sent Teoscar Hernández to the Mariners. After spending most of his career as a starter, Macko has transitioned into a relief role this season. He has appeared in 22 major league innings, posting a 4.91 ERA with a 23.2% strikeout rate and a 10.1% walk rate. At Triple-A, he has recorded a 4.07 ERA over 24⅓ innings while striking out 27.6% of batters and walking 10.5%.
Macko is entering his final option year, meaning he will be out of options next season. With Toronto facing a potential roster crunch, he may have been running out of opportunities. The Rangers, meanwhile, are focused on a postseason push and could immediately benefit from another left-handed bullpen arm. Because he is still optionable for the remainder of this season and has not yet reached arbitration, Macko offers both roster flexibility and affordability.
Texas currently relies on Jacob Latz as its closer, leaving Robby Ahlstrom and Tyler Alexander as the primary left-handed setup options. Alexander has mostly served as a swingman throughout his career and lacks overpowering velocity, while Ahlstrom has only 21⅔ major league innings of experience. Although Macko is still relatively inexperienced, he gives the Rangers another viable left-handed option and adds depth to the relief corps.
The Blue Jays also receive 24-year-old right-hander Josh Stephan, who profiles as organizational starting pitching depth. He has logged 101 innings at Triple-A this season, recording a 5.44 ERA along with a 21.9% strikeout rate, 7% walk rate, and 42% ground-ball rate. While Baseball America does not rank him among Texas’ top 30 prospects, FanGraphs previously placed him 21st in the organization, praising his ability to limit hard contact and throw strikes despite lacking premium velocity. He projects as a potential spot starter or back-end rotation depth.
Looking ahead, Toronto’s future rotation carries some uncertainty with Shane Bieber, Max Scherzer, and Jameson Taillon all set to become free agents. Even if all three remain through the end of the season, the Blue Jays could still have openings behind projected starters Dylan Cease, José Soriano, and Trey Yesavage in 2027.
Overall, Toronto traded a pitcher who may have been approaching a roster squeeze in exchange for a buy-low utility player with upside and an additional rotation depth arm. Texas, meanwhile, moved a struggling infielder who was becoming a potential non-tender candidate, along with a minor league depth pitcher, to add an affordable left-handed reliever who can contribute to its playoff push.
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