Three Mets fan favorites who might be in another uniform before Opening Day

Dominic Smith

Dom Smith is in the same boat as Brandon Nimmo. He is too good to be a bench player but might be relegated to that role. Dom Smith is a first baseman. Unfortunately for him, Pete Alonso is also a first baseman. With no DH, I don’t think the Mets will or should bench Alonso and start Smith at first.

This means the only way for Dom to get in the lineup is in left field. Dom has played sparingly in the outfield mainly to get his bat into the lineup. You can tell he is not an outfielder, but he has improved slightly defensively from when he first was thrown into left field in 2018.

I believe when deciding between Nimmo and Smith the answer for left field is Nimmo. He is the legitimate outfielder. And again, Nimmo at the top of that order is so valuable. In a perfect world, Dom would be hitting fifth or sixth in a fully healthy Met lineup.

Dom slashed .316/.377/.616 with ten home runs and 42 RBI this season. He along with Conforto were the two most consistent bats in the Mets lineup this season. The 25-year-old certainly has a lot of value around the league. The logjam of position players the Mets have might force their hand.

If the Indians who need a first baseman and some more left-handed power in their lineup are interested in Dom for a Lindor package, I think the Mets would and should do it. It’s just too much value being wasted for one pinch-hit at-bat a game or a spot start.