Josh Smoker, Diamond in the Rough

[Edgy MD]

Among the minor league vets gobbled up by the Mets this year, one of the first was Josh Smoker, a former Nationals first rounder with a bad-ass name, who played last year with the independent Frontier League's Rockford Aviators. A veteran of two surgeries, the product of Calhoun HS in Calhoun, GA (and can you get more Braves-country than that?) was spotted as a candidate for revival by an eagle-eyed Mets scout at the Aviators' camp.

He started slow, giving up six runs in 6.2 innings with Savannah, but the strikeouts were there, and he got promoted. Since then, it's been lights out.

St. Lucie: 1–0 (6 saves) / 1.69 ERA / 6 BB / 26 SO / 21.1 IP
Binghamton: 1–0 / 1.64 ERA / 3 BB / 26 SO / 15.0 IP

Moreover, he's a left-handed reliever, and we may need one or two of those. He's probably going to be a minor league free agent, and even if they re-sign him, he'll likely be Rule 5 eligible, so they may even add him to the roster in the offseason.

[Edgy MD]

Rocking the International League with a 3.12 ERA for the Indianapolis Indians, Smokey has struck out 11 in 8 2/3 innings, but got hit hard in his brief stint with the Pirates.