Rumours a ritual for Jays’ reliever

With less than a week remaining until the major-league trade deadline without waivers, it is open season for general managers who are looking for big-name players to help them get over the hump and into October.

But many times, it’s the less-heralded, under-the-radar players — platoon hitters, relief pitchers and mid-rotation starters on expiring contracts — that are the key acquisitions.

Blue Jays reliever Joe Smith is one of those solid veteran relievers who can help a contender in the final two months. So it’s no surprise that his name has come up as a potential trade asset for GM Ross Atkins.

The 32-year-old right-hander was mentioned by Ken Rosenthal, of Fox Sports, as a potential target for the Milwaukee Brewers, currently first in the NL Central.

Smith has been traded twice in his 11-year major-league career. He knows the drill and, as he gets older, the whispers bother him less and less.

“When you’re young, you don’t really think about this stuff,” Smith said. “It’s hard to understand. Hell, it’s hard for us to understand right now. One of the hardest jobs in the world to do is go out there and get these big-league hitters out . . . on top of the problems that some people may or may not have away from the game.

“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.”

Smith, who was drafted by the Mets in 2006, was traded to the Indians in a complicated 12-player, three-team deal following the 2008 season.

He admitted he was left dazed and confused by the move. The first cut is always the deepest.

“Definitely, 100 per cent,” Smith said. “But I had an old veteran guy once tell me, if you’re going to be in the bullpen and you’re going to pitch in the big leagues for a long time, just get used to it because you’re going to be traded a lot. But you’ve got to go through it. The first time is a little different.”

Over time, Smith has learned how to focus on the mound despite the swirling rumours.

He was traded for a second time last summer, going from the Angels to the Cubs on Aug. 1.

The Cubs went on to win the World Series, but Smith was not on the final 25-man roster. He claims that it was easier with the winter trade back in 2008 to make an adjustment, to come to grips with it.

“That was during the off-season and that was kind of like signing with a new team,” he said. “You’ve got two months of spring training to get comfortable, feel out everybody, get to know names and just get comfortable with the whole situation.”

Smith is now with his fifth majorleague organization and in his 12th professional season. On the first day of any series on the road, he emerges early from the dugout and embraces players, coaches, grounds crew, front office and security staff, people he has made friends with over time.

“It’s always fun,” Smith smiled. “The baseball family’s such a small family and it’s good. Heck I spent five years in Cleveland, just about 2 1/2 in Anaheim and when we go back to those places, they’ve got a lot of good people there that you just become so close with . . . it’s just good people, good times, good memories in all aspects of it.”

Part of the reason Smith is rumoured to be available before the deadline is that the Jays are no longer considered by many as a contender. One of the reasons Smith signed with Toronto was to contend.

“In here, we haven’t (given up),” Smith said. “Obviously there’s been some comments spread around and it is what it is. But regardless of whatever other people say, our job in here is to go out and win every game that we can.

“We try to keep all this stuff out of our minds. I’ve got to go out and I’ve got to get three outs, whenever I go in, or maybe four outs, who knows. And other guys have to go hit and play defence. It’s hard enough to play this game when you’re just worried about that, much less everything else.” When he played under Mark Shapiro, the Jays president, for five years in Cleveland, Smith did not hear himself involved in many trade rumours, and his departure from the Jays is far from a done deal. He wants to remain with the Jays, but will clearly roll with whatever happens over the next five days.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen, I could end up staying here for all I know,” Smith said. “But right now I’m just worried about getting out on the mound and continuing to get better. I had a long DL stint, so I just want to keep getting better like I have every outing (since returning) and just focus on that. If the business side of baseball gets in the way, then so be it.”

Some things really do work out well after a player is traded. For instance, after that first career deal in 2008 from the Mets to the Indians, Smith met his wife, Allie LaForce, an Ohio native and sports reporter working at a local CBS affiliate.

“Yeah,” Smith smiled, again. “That one really worked out.”