Blue Jays acquired a defensive player Mallex Smith From the Reds In American baseball, Chris Helburn-Trinkle. Presumably, as with most post-deadline swaps, the Jays simply sent the money to Cincinnati in return.

Smith was eligible for the trade by virtue of the fact that he is playing the 2021 season under a minor league deal and has not been called up to the Majors or dismissed by another club this season. The 28-year-old opened the season with a minor league deal with the Mets but did not appear in a game for them. He suffered a broken foot early in his tenure with the organization and was cut off in mid-June. He signed with Cincinnati quickly afterwards and was soon ready to fit into the Reds’ largest branch in Louisville.

It hasn’t been a particularly fruitful season so far for Smith in Triple-A, with a batting streak of only .231/.296/.292 in 22 games and 71 board appearances since recovering enough to enter the field. He’s passed four bases in six attempts with Louisville, and his ability to keep stacking those heists is his primary asset.

From 2017 to 2019, Smith fought .262/.332/.367 in 356 games with the Rays and Mariners, connecting in 10 home runs, 54 doubles, 23 triples, and stealing 102 bags in 128 attempts (79.7 percent). He posted 40 consecutive seasons in 2018-19—including one in which his 46 stole bases led all of Major League Baseball.

Smith is unlikely to be an immediate choice for Jays in the outfield. Toronto has Lourdes Gurriel Jr.And George SpringerAnd Tuscar HernandezAnd Corey Dickerson And Randall Grechuk It’s all on the Major League roster at the moment, so Outfield isn’t exactly a place to be. However, the rosters will expand to 28 players in September, and Smith will not only provide some coverage in the event of injuries but also a potential running and defense specialist if Jays sees fit to use one of those extra roster points in that way.