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Off the field, Dominic Smith has seen his name in trade rumors ever since the offseason began. Most recently, rumors swirled that Smith might be flipped to the Padres, in a deal involving first baseman Eric Hosmer.
Ultimately, the trade talk quieted, and now just three days until Opening Day, Smith remains a Met. With his role on the team still up in the air, Smith is taking the positive road heading into the 2022 season.
“[Trade rumors] are not new to me. It’s just something that is going to be a part of the game,” Smith said, who is getting on-base at a rate of over .500 this spring.
“I’m happy to be a Met. I love this organization, I love this city, and I love this team.”
Despite no clear starting role available for Smith – although the addition of the permanent designated hitter certainly helps his case – the sixth-year Met had one of the best springs of anyone on the roster this month. With a small sample size of just 12 games, Smith has posted an OPS of 1.413, to go along with two home runs in these exhibition contests.
While he sits on the outside looking in at first base (Pete Alonso), designated hitter (Robinson Canó), and left field (Mark Canha), Smith has made a case to not only be one of the team’s most valuable bench players, but an ultra-reliable utility player who can be plugged into the starting lineup if any of the above players become injured, need rest, or simply struggle at the plate.
“That’s a little bit above my paygrade,” joked Smith, when asked about where he expected to play positionally this season. “I’m here to be ready no matter what situation I’m put in…I’m just here, I’m happy, and I can’t wait until the season starts.”
After finishing 13th in National League MVP voting in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Smith entered 2021 with lofty expectations. Unfortunately for both Smith and the Mets, the slugger ended the year with just an 84 OPS+, a far cry from his 168 mark the year prior. Although he played in a career high 145 games, it was statistically his worst season since debuting in the majors in 2017.
Consistently hitting on the field has been no issue for Smith over the past two weeks. But he understands that the games only start counting when the regular season begins.
His head is in the right place entering a year of uncertainty.
“April, May, June, July, August, September, and October – those are the months that really matter,” Smith said, getting a few laughs out of the crowd of reporters.
That last month – October – is the one the Mets have been building for years for. Smith has been part of this organization through a few rough years, but now, he’s found his way onto this roster of contenders.
And he’s more than ready to take advantage of this year’s opportunity.
