
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.