Joshua Allen Smith (born August 7, 1987) is an American professional

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding t ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

who is a free agent. He has played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, Oakland Athletics,

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eigh ...

and Miami Marlins. He also played in the

KBO League The KBO League (), officially the Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League, is the highest level league of baseball in South Korea. The KBO League was founded with six franchises in 1982 and is the most popular sports league in South Korea. The Kia Tigers ar ...

for the

Kiwoom Heroes The Kiwoom Heroes () are a South Korean professional baseball team based in Seoul. They are a member of the KBO League. The Heroes play their home games at Gocheok Sky Dome in Gocheok-dong, a neighborhood located in the southwestern part of Se ...

. Listed at and , he bats and throws right-handed.

Career

Cincinnati Reds

Smith was selected by the Cincinnati Reds in the 21st round of the 2010 MLB draft out of

Lipscomb University Lipscomb University is a private university in Nashville, Tennessee. It is affiliated with the Churches of Christ. The campus is located in the Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville, between Belmont Boulevard to the west and Granny White Pike o ...

. He rose through the Reds' minor league system, reaching Triple-A in 2014. In 2015, Smith was called up to the majors for the first time on April 13, but did not make his MLB debut until June 23, allowing four runs in three innings of a

no decision A no decision (sometimes written no-decision) is one of either of two sports statistics scenarios; one in baseball and softball, and the other in boxing and related combat sports. Baseball and softball A starting pitcher who leaves a game with ...

against the Pittsburgh Pirates. He made nine appearances (seven starts) with the Reds in 2015, compiling an 0–4 record with 6.89 ERA. In 2016, Smith made 32 appearances (two starts) with the Reds, pitching to a 3–3 record with a 4.68 ERA. He also spent time in the minor leagues during 2015 and 2016.

Oakland Athletics

On November 4, 2016, Smith was claimed off waivers by the Oakland Athletics. In 2017, Smith began the season with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds, until the Athletics purchased his contract on May 3, adding him to their active roster. With the A's during 2017, Smith made 26 relief appearances, recording a 4.89 ERA and a record of 2–1. He was outrighted to Triple-A on November 5, 2017, and then elected to become a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

Seattle Mariners

On March 15, 2018, Smith signed a minor league contract with the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion team ...

. He made four appearances with the

Tacoma Rainiers The Tacoma Rainiers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Tacoma, Washington, and play their home games at Cheney Stadium, which opened in 1960 ...

of the Pacific Coast League, recording a 6.10 ERA, and was released on April 21, 2018.

Boston Red Sox

On May 16, 2018, Smith signed a minor league contract with the

. He joined the Triple-A

Pawtucket Red Sox The Pawtucket Red Sox, known colloquially as the PawSox, were a professional minor league baseball club based in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. From 1973 to 2020, the team was a member of the International League and served as the Triple-A affiliate ...

in June, appearing in 18 games (10 starts) with a 5–6 record and 4.14 ERA. Smith started the 2019 season with Pawtucket. He was added to Boston's active roster on April 26 to make a spot-start against the

Tampa Bay Rays The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since its inception, the team's home v ...

; however, the game was rained out. Smith made his Red Sox debut on May 3, pitching a scoreless inning against the

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...

. He next made a spot start against the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...

on May 6, taking the loss while allowing four runs in innings. Smith was returned to Pawtucket on May 20, when David Price was activated from the injured list. Smith was optioned between Pawtucket and Boston several times during June; he recorded his first MLB save on June 13, against the Texas Rangers. After spending all of July with Pawtucket, Smith was recalled to Boston on August 2, when Heath Hembree was placed on the injured list. Smith was optioned back to Pawtucket two days later, and recalled to Boston on August 20. Overall with the 2019 Red Sox, Smith appeared in 18 games (two starts), compiling an 0–3 record with one save, along with a 5.81 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 31 innings. Smith was removed from Boston's 40-man roster in October and sent outright to Pawtucket. On October 21, he elected to become a

Miami Marlins

On December 18, 2019, Smith signed a minor league contract with the Miami Marlins. On August 3, 2020, Smith was selected to the active roster. On October 29, 2020, Smith was outrighted off of the 40-man roster.

Kiwoom Heroes

On December 11, 2020, Smith signed with the

of the

. On April 15, 2021, he was waived after posting a 6.30 ERA and 1.40 WHIP over two starts.

Miami Marlins (second stint)

On April 27, 2021, Smith signed a minor league contract with the Miami Marlins. Smith played in 9 games between the Florida Complex League Marlins and the Triple-A

Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp The Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Miami Marlins. They are located in Jacksonville, Florida, and are named for shrimp caught in the area. The team pla ...

, registering a 2–0 record and 2.60 ERA. On July 22, Smith was released by the Marlins organization.

Algodoneros de Unión Laguna

On June 21, 2022, Smith signed with the

Algodoneros de Unión Laguna The Algodoneros de Unión Laguna (English: Laguna Union Cotton Farmers) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League based in Torreón, Coahuila. History Early years The team was established in 1940 under the name Algodoneros de Unió ...

of the

Mexican League The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country. The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...

. He was released on April 19, 2023.

Personal

Smith is often referred to online and in print as Josh A. Smith, to differentiate him from Josh D. Smith, especially since the two players were teammates for the Pawtucket Red Sox in 2018. The two were also teammates for the Miami Marlins in 2020.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Josh 1987 births Living people American expatriate baseball players in South Korea Baseball players from Florida Bakersfield Blaze players Billings Mustangs players Boston Red Sox players Cincinnati Reds players Dayton Dragons players Florida Complex League Marlins players Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp players Kiwoom Heroes players Lipscomb Bisons baseball players Louisville Bats players Major League Baseball pitchers Miami Marlins players Naranjeros de Hermosillo players American expatriate baseball players in Mexico Nashville Sounds players Oakland Athletics players Pawtucket Red Sox players Pensacola Blue Wahoos players People from Margate, Florida Tacoma Rainiers players