NY Mets top trade candidates at the start of the offseason

2) NY Mets trade candidate Dominic Smith

We’ve crossed from the “unlikely but maybe” to the “possible” and now to the “almost, very likely” group of Mets trade candidates. We find this one in left field. Dominic Smith, once a prized prospect in the club’s system, has seen his stock rise and fall very quickly in the last few years.

Smith struggled early on in his Mets career but seemed like a whole new player and person in 2019. In a part-time role, he excelled.

The next season, now with left field as his, Smith put together the kind of year everyone had hoped for. He was terrific at the plate with some room to grow in the outfield. No matter. Anyone who can hit like that can have some hiccups with the glove.

Unfortunately, things have turned for Smith. He was extremely unproductive in 2021 to the point where starting games in left field down the stretch were impossible to find. Instead, the team preferred to put Kevin Pillar out there even when the games lost meaning in the standings.

Smith has been on the trade block before. Previously because he was blocked by Pete Alonso at his natural position of first base, the case to trade Smith is back to a lack of ability.

With his stock now low again, it’s tough to imagine the Mets get much value in return for Smith. First basemen are easy to find around the league. The best the Mets might be able to hope for is that Smith is included in a package or possibly another ill-fitting player with youth on his side.