The New York Mets announced Tuesday afternoon that they have optioned first baseman Dom Smith to AAA Syracuse. The Mets have recalled reliever Adonis Medina to replace Smith on the roster.
It’s been a struggle for Smith this year, slashing .186/.287/.256 (.543 OPS) in his first 86 at-bats. In 39 games this season, Smith has been worth a -0.1 WAR, according to Fangraphs.
I love Dom Smith, but he's slashing .235/.301/.346 (79 OPS+) over his last 184 games.
— D.J. Short (@djshort) May 31, 2022
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The Mets were faced with a decision at the beginning of May when roster sizes were cut down from 27 to 26. With Robinson Cano, Travis Jankowski, and Luis Guillorme all on the bubble, it was Smith who may have bought himself more time with a four-hit game on the eve of roster cut-down-day.
Since then, Smith has just five hits in his last 39 at-bats. His playing time has dwindled in the last two weeks, even without a clear-cut favorite to overtake the DH responsibilities. Smith has not homered in nearly a full calendar year, his last coming on July 21st, 2021.
A former first-round pick by the Mets, Smith has not lived up to expectations. The 2020 abbreviated season was a hopeful sign when he hit over .300 with 32 extra-base hits in 50 games. Since then, Smith has just a .301 on-base percentage and 11 home runs in nearly 600 plate appearances dating back to last season.
With Nick Plummer’s MLB career off to a fast start, and contributions from Luis Guillorme, the Mets bench has provided a lift when its regulars are out of the lineup. Smith simply has not provided that this year.
Yeah you just can't justify putting Dom Smith's bat in the lineup over Guillorme right now.
— Ryan Finkelstein (@FinkelsteinRyan) May 25, 2022
On two separate occasions this year Smith has expressed his wishes to be an everyday player for a Major League team. With his trade value nearly non-existent at the moment, the Mets are hoping he can find his swing in Syracuse. Whether that be to up his value in a potential trade or to be given another shot with the Mets is to be determined.