Luis G. asks…

I have a question, where does Dominic Smith fit with the Mets going into 2020? Do you think he will be traded?

Lindsay Moran answers…

Hi Luis, thanks for the question.

Though I can’t predict where Dominic Smith will fit in with the Mets next season, I will say I won’t be surprised if we see him traded. There are a few ways the 2020 season can play out for Smith, as he may be utilized as a bench player if he isn’t traded, but it’s safe to say there isn’t room for him to secure a fulltime position with the Mets as of now.

Unfortunately, Smith suffered a foot injury in July that put him out until his last at-bat of the 2019 season.

It was in that moment that we saw a storybook ending to the season for Smith, who hit a walk-off 3-run homer to close out the final game against the Braves.

Prior to his injury in late July, Smith was having the best season of his major league career, batting .282 with 11 home runs and 25 RBI. Though Smith came up to the big leagues as a first baseman, he was put in his secondary position of left field, serving as a defensive sub, to make room for rookie Pete Alonso on first.

With Alonso’s record-breaking season in his rookie year – finishing with a solid .260/.583/.941 slash line and a 5.0 WAR – it’s likely the All-Star won’t be giving up his spot for Smith to play regularly.

As far as his position in the outfield goes, the team is fairly stacked. J.D. Davis is penciled in to hold down left field given that another All-Star, Jeff McNeil, would become the team’s regular third baseman in light of Todd Frazier’s free agency.

McNeil has also had his turn in left field, playing 71 games in the position in the 2019 season. Davis, who played 79 games there, ended the season with a .307/.369/.527 slash line, giving the Mets every reason to want him in the starting lineup for the 2020 season. Though Davis has not proven to be exceptionally strong in the outfield, his bat has certainly proven to be valuable in the 2019 season.

Brandon Nimmo and Michael Conforto are likely to play center field and right field, respectively, which also puts the team in a tough spot as they await the return of Yoenis Cespedes. With little-to-no news circulating about Cespedes and his health after he reportedly fractured his ankle on his ranch in May, we can’t bank on Cespedes coming back as a key cog next season.

A lot of things seem to be up in the air, and it appears some trade will have to be made to keep the team’s key players on the field and not waste talent or trade value on the bench. I would love to see Smith come back and have the breakout season he deserved in 2019.

Suffice to say; the Mets will have to make the decision of whether to use Dom off the bench or to trade him for some much-needed bullpen help.

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