Milwaukee Brewers Interested in Blue Jays Reliever Joe Smith
The search for bullpen help continues for the Milwaukee Brewers, and this time, they are linked to Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Joe Smith.
According to FOX Sport's Ken Rosenthal, Smith has emerged as "another option" for the Brewers as they look to add more bullpen depth before the nonwaiver trade deadline next week.
After an up-and-down tenure with the Los Angeles Angels, the right-hander was traded to the Chicago Cubs at the trade deadline last year. He was part of the Cubs team that won the 2016 World Series, although he didn't play in the playoffs. Smith was actually targeted by the Brewers' last winter, but he ended up signing a one-year deal with the Blue Jays. Now he's back on their radar.
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In 36 games this season, Smith is 3–0 and he has posted a 3.48 earned run average (ERA), and a 1.13 walks plus hits per inning pitched (WHIP). He also has 50 strikeouts and eight walks in 33.2 innings pitched.
Smith has already been traded twice in during his career so he's used to hearing all the rumors already.
"When you're young, you don't really think about this stuff. It's hard to understand. Hell, it's hard for us to understand right now," Smith said, according to Thestar.com.
"Then you get talked about, 'Hey, you're moving here, you're moving there.' I think the toughest part is when everyone's talking about it. Obviously you guys have to ask, but getting text messages and phone calls, 'Oh I read this. Oh, where you going.' I say I don't know. Y'all probably find out quicker than I will if I go anywhere, somewhere on social media," he continued.
Smith has publicly said that he prefers to stay with the Blue Jays, but he understands that contenders like the Brewers are in the market for a serviceable reliever.
