Josh A. Smith

Although he began the season with Triple-A Louisville, Smith ended up sticking with the major league bullpen for a significant chunk of the season. The 29-year-old righty came out of spring training with a rotation spot in the minors, and he pitched respectably, putting together a 3.80 ERA and 1.27 WHIP across eight starts and one brief relief appearance toward the end of the campaign. He also exhibited excellent control, as he walked just 13 batters across 45 innings at Triple-A. He lost some of that control upon his arrival in Cincinnati (3.9 BB/9) which led to an unsightly 5.17 ERA and 1.49 WHIP, although he did experience more success in two late-season starts. Smith was claimed off waivers by the A's after the season's conclusion, but he was cast off the 40-man roster again in short order and appears primed to serve as organizational depth in 2017.