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Blue Jays acquire Josh Smith from Texas Rangers in exchange for Adam Macko
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Photo credit: Jim Cowsert-Imagn Images
Michael Coyle
Aug 3, 2026, 13:52 EDTUpdated: Aug 3, 2026, 14:19 EDT
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The Toronto Blue Jays have made their second trade of the day. 
On Monday afternoon, The Athletic’s Mitch Bannon reported that the Blue Jays acquired infielder Josh Smith and minor-league pitcher Josh Stephan from the Texas Rangers in exchange for left-hander Adam Macko. 
This move, like the José Soriano trade, adds another player with term on his contract, as Smith remains under club control for the remainder of this season and the two that follow. 
Through 45 games with the Rangers this season, Smith batted .213 with one home run, eight RBIs, and reached base at a .299 clip. Smith dealt with a right glute strain that cost him over a month on the injured list, but following his activation, Smith has seen himself be optioned twice to Triple-A. 
A utility player, Smith has spent time at all four infield positions over his five seasons with the Rangers while also spending some time in the outfield. Over five seasons, Smith is a career .234 hitter with 32 home runs, 136 RBIs, and has picked up 31 steals in 40 attempts. 
Smith’s best season came during the 2024 campaign, when he batted .258 with 13 home runs and 62 RBIs. The 28-year-old turned in an OBP of .337 and recorded 13 steals, so the Blue Jays will be hoping he can rebound into that form following the acquisition. 
Stephan joins the Blue Jays’ organization after appearing in 21 games (19 starts) in Triple-A with the Round Rock Express. The 24-year-old right-hander has gone 6-5 with a 5.44 ERA and 1.43 WHIP. Over his 101 innings pitched, Stephan has struck out 97 and allowed an opponents’ average of .280. 
Macko’s time comes to an end with the Blue Jays after debuting this season and appearing in 22 games with the club. Over his 22 outings (one start), Macko went 2-0 with a 4.91 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP. 
Originally called up on May 17, Macko debuted a day later against the New York Yankees and turned in a scoreless outing. After pitching to an ERA of 0.00 in May and a 2.70 ERA in June, Macko ran into struggles over the course of July. Through seven outings, Macko allowed 10 earned runs across 7.1 innings pitched, and was ultimately optioned twice to Triple-A Buffalo. 
Still only 25-year’s-old, and having been part of the Blue Jays’ organization since November 2022 when he was acquired alongside Erik Swanson in exchange for Teoscar Hernández, the decision to move off the Canadian-raised lefty brings some shock at the time of the trade.
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