Dominic Smith Questioning Future With Mets

Dominic Smith might not make a return to Queens this season. He might not make a return to Queens at all.

The former Mets top prospect finds himself on the outside looking in at the major league team while rehabbing from an ankle sprain suffered right before the All-Star break.

In an interview with MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, Smith pondered his future on the Mets and his on and off-the-field struggles over the last two seasons.

“With the way I played this year, I don’t know if they want to bring me back for how much my contract is,” Smith said.

Smith is arbitration eligible and making $3.95 million this season. Since the trade deadline, his roster spot has been taken up by additions Daniel Vogelbach, Tyler Naquin, and Darin Ruf. With Vogelbach and Pete Alonso under team control through next season, Smith’s role next season could be gone as well.

Mets manager Buck Showalter said the team will address Smith’s situation when he’s healthy enough to return. That could be this weekend.

It’s no secret the Mets have been trying to move on from Smith. The organization almost traded him to San Diego for a package that included bringing pitcher Chris Paddack to the Mets. Then after a spring training season where he hit .423, he wouldn’t earn the starting designated hitter job over Robinson Cano.

Smith was upset.

“I mean, coming out of the gate, you sit on the bench for three straight days after having a spring like that? Who’s going to sit here and be happy about that?” Smith said. “Mentally, I was in a bad spot.”

Smith has kept his off-the-field life close to his chest and didn’t disclose what the issues were.

“I went through a ton of things off the field this year that people don’t even know about. … I was never at a point where I wanted to quit … and it wasn’t even like it had to do with baseball stuff,” Smith said. “It was just stuff not going my way in life. I just felt like things couldn’t get worse, and then they seemingly did, and it kept snowballing worse and worse. You’re trying to control everything, and you just seem like you can’t control anything.”

Smith has seemed therapy that he admits has helped. He felt that he was in a better headspace when he returned from the minor leagues in late June.

Smith believes there’s still a spot on the Mets roster for him. The Mets will have to decide if they feel the same way.