NY Mets: 3 potential trade partners for Dominic Smith

The Pittsburg Pirates

One team that needs improvement in just about every area this offseason is the Pittsburg Pirates, and they could very well look to acquire a new starting first baseman via trade with the New York Mets.

The Buccos finished the 2021 season with a record of 61-101, ranking 5th place in the NL East and 4th worst in the MLB, so naturally, they should look to make some improvements this offseason.

While they have a few intriguing players at the big league level, they are entering this offseason with the no. 4 ranked farm system, while the Mets’ farm system is ranked 22nd overall.

This being the case, Smith could be an excellent player to deal to Pirates in exchange for a promising minor leaguer who they could either flip in another trade this offseason to upgrade a position, or one to develop to help the team in the future.

The Pirates’ are one of six organizations to have five or more players represented in the Top 100 prospects in the MLB, and a surplus of young pitchers currently ranked in their organizations’ top 30 prospects heading into the 2022 off-season.

Whether or not Pittsburg is interested in trading for Dominic Smith to fill their void at first base, or if they are the ones to offer the Mets the best deal for him is another question entirely, but if a deal were to be made, the Pirates certainly seem like a likely candidate.

The Cleveland Guardians

While the Cleveland Indians will be making a big transition this off-season in renaming its organization to the Guardians, they are a team that surely will look to make some improvements on the field as well.

Cleveland finished last season with a record of 80-82, second place in the AL Central. However, they are a better team than their record indicates, and with a few upgrades in key positions, chiefly in terms of first basemen, they could very well be contenders in 2022.

For the 2021 season, Cleveland ranked dead last in the MLB in both batting average and on-base percentage, with the position hitting barely above the Mendoza Line for the year with a collective .207 average with a .275 OBP.

Dominic Smith would be a welcome improvement in terms of both average and on-base percentage, as well as solid defense at first base, and could be just what they need to get back on track.

Cleveland could opt to sign one of the big free agents on the open markets such as Freddie Freeman or Anthony Rizzo, but Smith would be a much less costly option in terms of salary and would still be under team control for 3 years, making him a very attractive alternative.

As for what the Mets could look for in return, Cleveland has the 13th ranked farm system in the MLB, and like the Pirates, they too have a surplus of pitching prospects, which the Mets are in desperate need of.

The Mets could also look to make the swap for a member of Cleveland’s major league roster, but either way, Dominic Smith could easily fill the position that last year was the Indians’ Achilles Heel, and they have a multitude of players that could help the Mets’ efforts heading into 2022.

The Chicago Cubs

In 2021 at the trade deadline, the Chicago Cubs dealt their long-time first baseman Anthony Rizzo to the New York Yankees in exchange for 2 minor leaguers, and could be looking into acquiring a long term replacement for him for 2022 and beyond.

Chicago may have a potential replacement in the form of 29-year-old Frank Schwindel, who batted .342 with 13 home runs and 40 RBI in 56 games for the Cubs after being claimed off wavers in July of last season, but he is by no means a lock for 2022.

Prior to last season, the right-handed Schwindel had been a career minor leaguer since being drafted back in 2013, and as such, Chicago could look into bringing in a left-handed first baseman such as Smith, to compete with him in Spring Training, as well as potentially platoon with him.

Smith’s ability to man the outfield could also be quite appealing for the Cubs. In the event Schwindel continues to build off of his 2021 success, Smith could easily fill one of the vacancies Chicago currently has in the outfield, getting both of their bats in the lineup.

The bottom line is, the Cubs could easily benefit from acquiring Smith’s services as they begin to rebuild their team after stripping it down at last years’ trade deadline, either having him play at first base or in left field.

As for players the Cubs have who could tempt Dominic away from New York, they currently have the 18th ranked farm system, with their top prospects list filled with a surplus of outfielders, as 12 of their top 30 can man the outfield.

Chicago also has several members of their major league club who could be on the trade block and potentially swapped for Dominic Smith in a larger deal, such as starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks, but that would have to be part of a much larger hypothetical deal.

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Regardless, the Cubs seem like a good fit to be trade partners for Dominic Smith, and if the price is right, the Mets could easily get a deal done with them.