Over the weekend, the Texas Rangers made a significant move by signing left-handed reliever Will Smith to a major league contract worth $1.5 million. The announcement came at an interesting time, as it coincided with the airing of Chris Rock’s Netflix comedy special.
Will Smith signed and Mark Mathias DFA
To make room for Smith on their 40-man roster, the Rangers had to designate infielder Mark Mathias for assignment. However, the signing of Will Smith is expected to bring depth and experience to the Rangers’ bullpen, which is a crucial component of any successful baseball team.
Smith has been a journeyman reliever, having played for several different teams throughout his career. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Angels in the seventh round of the 2008 draft and was eventually traded to the Kansas City Royals in 2010. After making his MLB debut with the Royals, he was moved from a starter to a bullpen role in 2013. In 2014, he was traded to Milwaukee, where he had a career-high of 78 appearances. Smith then moved to San Francisco in August 2016 but missed the entire 2017 season due to Tommy John surgery.
Astros cut the pitcher following the 2022 World Series
Upon his return in May 2018, Will Smith became a part-time closer for the Giants. By 2019, he had become the team’s full-time closer and even made his first All-Star team. The Giants decided to move in a new direction after the 2019 season, and Smith became a free agent.
In 2020, Smith signed a three-year, $39 million contract with the Atlanta Braves and helped the team win the World Series in 2021 as their closer. However, in 2022, the Braves needed a starter and traded Smith to the Houston Astros for Jake Odorizzi. Despite pitching well for the Astros, Smith was not included in the postseason roster for the ALDS and ALCS. He did make the World Series roster but did not get to play in a game. The Astros ultimately declined his option for $13 million, making him a free agent once again.
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