The Pittsburgh Pirates today acquired left-handed relief pitcher Josh Smoker from the New York Mets in exchange for minor league pitcher Daniel Zamora and cash considerations. The announcement was made by Executive Vice President, General Manager Neal Huntington.
The 29-year-old Smoker went 1-2 with a 5.11 ERA (56.1ip/32er) and 68 strikeouts in 54 relief appearances last year for the Mets. He was a member of New York's Opening Day roster before being optioned to Triple-A Las Vegas on May 9.
Smoker was then recalled by New York on May 23 before being placed on the disabled list from June 14 to July 20 with a left shoulder strain. Following his return from the disabled list, Smoker recorded a 2.63 ERA (27.1ip/8er) in 32 games, including two earned runs over his final 18.2 innings (0.96 ERA) dating back to August 11.
Smoker, who was designated for assignment by New York on January 26, broke into the big leagues in 2016 and went 3-0 with a 4.70 ERA (15.1ip/8er) and 25 strikeouts in 20 relief appearances. Since breaking into the big leagues, he has averaged 11.68 strikeouts per 9.0 innings in 74 appearances.