Ex-Yankees star admits he ‘always figured’ he would be traded

Former New York Yankees star prospect Josh Smith always figured he’d be traded by the team that drafted him.

The Yankees selected Smith in the second round of the 2019 Major League Baseball Draft. He was in New York’s minor leagues for two years before being traded in 2021 to the New York Rangers in the six-player deal that saw the Yankees acquire Joey Gallo.

Smith ended up making his MLB debut in 2022 and has been an important player for the Rangers. As Smith returned to the Bronx, he spoke to the media and admitted he always figured the Yankees would trade him.

“I kind of always figured I would get traded out of there, to be honest with you,” Smith said from the visiting clubhouse. “I loved my time with the Yankees and everything, but … I just figured if I played well enough, I’d get traded.” 

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The Yankees were trying to compete for a World Series, so any prospect was in the running to be dealt. 

Although Smith never got to play an MLB game with the Yankees, he was thankful for his time with the club. But he's also grateful to be with the Rangers now.

“I am always grateful for the way they treated me there. They’ve been awesome… I was pretty excited when it happened just because it’s a new opportunity,” Smith said. “Like I said, I loved my time with the Yankees. I kind of just saw myself not really moving up very fast with them. And I got traded here, and it worked out perfectly.” 

Smith is making $780,500 in 2025 and is under team control through 2028. 

This season with the Rangers, he’s hitting .284 with 4 home runs and 11 RBIs. He won the World Series with Texas in 2023.

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