Coming into this season, Dominic Smith‘s future with the Mets was in jeopardy, with his .665 OPS and -1.7 bWAR through his first two stints with the club.
This season, though, has been a whole new story as Smith has excelled in a part-time role, even with Pete Alonso getting all the fanfare and the bulk of the playing time at first base. Smith has excelled coming off the bench and starting in left field, improving every aspect of his game as he has posted a 142 wRC+ and 1.2 bWAR.
Smith had been scuffling a little bit lately though, batting just .107 (3-28) in July. In Wednesday’s game against the Twins, however, Smith came off the bench and provided the Mets with the biggest hit of the day.
With the Mets down 3-2 in the seventh, they immediately threatened with Amed Rosario singling and Adeiny Hechavarria doubling. Smith pinch-hit for J.D. Davis, and smacked a go-ahead three-run homer to flip the game around and give the Mets a 5-3 lead.
The Mets exploded and blew the game open with a six-run eighth, helped out by an RBI single from Smith as he continued to produce in that part-time role.
Many were skeptical of Smith’s success early this season, and understandably so considering his lack of a track record and some discouraging underlying metrics. However, as time as gone on, Smith has continued to hit and has even adapted to become a passable left fielder, while his natural position is first base. With every big hit, Smith’s bat is looking more and more legitimate.
With Smith increasing his value, that raises the question of whether the Mets would entertain featuring him in any trades. The Mets still have control of Smith through the 2024 season, and because of the presence of Alonso, perhaps it wouldn’t be the worst idea to try and use Smith to acquire an asset.
“I know baseball is a business at the end of the day. It’s just how the game is,” Smith said regarding the trade rumors after Wednesday’s game. “I love New York. I only want to play for the Mets. This is all I know. This is home for me and my family. I love it here.”
Clearly Smith is happy in the position he is in, and he has taken full advantage of his opportunities rather than sulking about Alonso leaping over him on the depth chart. He has handled the Mets playing him out of position very well, and seems willing to do whatever it is he needs to do to help this team win.
The Mets will likely only trade Smith if they get an overwhelming offer, as otherwise there is no reason to part ways with quietly one of the most valuable contributors in 2019.
