Mets have three options with Dominic Smith following the Matt Adams addition

Stash Dominic Smith in AAA

Smith still has minor league options left which means he could always get sent down to Triple-A to begin the season. This happened to him in 2019 early on. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Mets do the same.

This time around, the Mets could use it as an opportunity to allow him to play more games in the outfield. If Smith can become a more versatile defender with at least average abilities in left field, he’s far more valuable to the team moving forward.

By keeping him with the organization, the Mets could also prepare for the potential addition of the DH in 2021. It feels like an ideal situation with Smith getting regular at-bats as the team’s first baseman with Pete Alonso moving to the DH role every so often.

This option may not be the wisest choice. It also only makes sense if the Mets are going to put Adams on the Opening Day roster. He’ll need to earn it this spring.

One thing I do know is that these two cannot co-exist on the same roster. In fact, I was hopeful Smith could develop into a player like Adams. Teams have experimented with Adams in the outfield as well, but he’s clearly more of a first baseman/DH type of player.

When spring training begins, if Smith is still around, I expect a battle between these two for a roster spot. Smith should have early dibs. However, an impressive spring from Adams could change the front office’s opinion very quickly.

As Brodie Van Wagenen said last year, he wants to put the best roster possible together. Things shouldn’t be any different in 2020.

Business as Usual for Dominic Smith

Finally, there’s the last option. This one is where the Adams addition changes nothing. Smith will ride the pine, occasionally start, and see plenty of opportunities to pinch-hit.

It feels like a waste of a talented ballplayer, but also one of the best ways to have the best roster possible. The Mets cannot trade Smith away and feel like they’ve downgraded. They also shouldn’t put him in the minor leagues just because they have Adams available.

Instead, I think I would like to see Smith have an opportunity to make the Opening Day roster. If he fails, then we can re-examine Adams’ role with the team. There’s also the possibility of an injury. Having Adams up in Syracuse as a replacement for either Smith or Alonso would be a godsend to this team.

Whatever your opinion of Smith is, I believe most people want to see him play. The problem is Alonso is much better and Smith’s struggles in left field were too damning to give him regular chances. This spring needs to be a big one for Smith. If he can prove he’s a capable outfielder and continues to have the right attitude, I think he may win the decision-makers over.

And even if Smith does begin the year with the big league Mets, there’s no telling what happens in July. His value was at its highest this summer when he was raking regularly. He’ll need to regain the trade value from irregular at-bats. At that point, his future may be far away from Flushing.

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What do you think the Mets should do with Smith? I say he plays left field as much as possible in spring training. We know he can hit. Now it’s time for him to show us he can field a new position.