The Yankees have a knack for trading prospects when their value peaks, sending them off to acquire major league-ready talent. Recently, their skill in this area has sharpened. Yet, there doesn’t seem to be a trade made that the Yankees might come to regret quite yet.
At the 2021 trade deadline, the team acquired Joey Gallo, Anthony Rizzo, Andrew Heaney, Clay Holmes, and Jolie Rodriguez, among others, totaling 12 prospects.
This week, Josh Smith returned to face the Yankees—an organization he barely knew before his trade.
A powerful hitter and skilled defender, who can play several positions and won a Silver Slugger as a utility player last season, Smith is expected to be an asset for the Yankees right now.
“We’re not where we want to be, but I can’t imagine where we’d be without him,” Rangers manager Bruce Bossy remarked before Wednesday’s game.
At just 23 in 2021, Smith looked around at his counterparts and figured his future with the Yankees was uncertain. The second overall pick from LSU in 2019 had a brief stint in Staten Island, like many prospects facing the challenges of 2020.
In 2021, he excelled against lower-level competition, showing impressive performance in Hudson Valley with a 1.018 OPS in 28 games. However, he sensed the competition heating up with younger prospects like Anthony Volpe and Oswald Peraza in the mix.
“Honestly, I always thought I might get traded from there,” Smith admitted. “I loved being with the Yankees, but I could also see that I might not move up quickly.”
His intuition proved correct when, on July 29, he was part of a deal that sent him, along with three prospects, to the Rangers for Gallo and Rodriguez—a trade that heavily favored Texas.
Smith’s experience with trading was a bit unique; many young prospects are often tied to one organization. “I was excited to have a new opportunity,” he said. “I enjoyed my time with the Yankees, but I didn’t see a fast track to the majors there.” And the transition turned out perfectly for both him and the Rangers. He debuted in 2022 but truly made his mark last year as a reliable defender, achieving a .731 OPS over 149 games.
This season, he’s continued to improve, boasting a .769 OPS. As a left-handed batter, he often leads off against right-handers and has a versatile skill set, covering multiple positions—including third base and the outfield, especially relevant with Corey Seager’s hamstring issue.
“He’s an outstanding defender, no matter where you put him,” Bossy noted.
Even now, Smith keeps in touch with some Yankees personnel, regarding Volpe as one of his favorite teammates. It’s intriguing to think how things might have been if the Yankees had made a different choice about him four years ago.
“I’ll always be thankful for how I was treated there,” Smith reflected on his time with the Yankees. “They were wonderful.”
