Free agent first baseman Dominic Smith has curiosity from 5 completely different golf equipment, per Robert Murray of FanSided, with the White Sox the one one to be particularly recognized.
Smith, 29 in June, has had an up-and-down profession. He was chosen eleventh total by the Mets in 2013 and was usually on high 100 prospect lists on his approach up via the minors. However he didn’t hit the bottom operating within the majors. He acquired 332 plate appearances over 2017 and 2018 and hit 14 dwelling runs, however he paired a 28.9% strikeout charge with a 5.4% stroll charge. The outcome was a mixed batting line of .210/.259/.406 and wRC+ of 78 in that point.
He lastly clicked in 2019, getting his strikeout charge right down to 22.3% and his stroll charge as much as 9.6%. He hit 11 dwelling runs in 89 video games for a .282/.355/.525 batting line and 134 wRC+. Nevertheless it wasn’t all excellent, as he needed to transfer from first base to left subject because of the breakout of Pete Alonso. He additionally missed a lot of the second half as a consequence of a stress response in left foot. However he was wholesome once more in 2020, hitting .316/.377/.616 in that shortened season for an enormous wRC+ of 166.
However he hasn’t been in a position to get anyplace close to that output since. He hit simply .233/.298/.345 over the subsequent two seasons, wRC+ of 80, whereas coping with damage challenges. He performed via a partially-torn labrum in 2021 after which suffered a proper ankle sprain in 2022.
He was non-tendered by the Mets and landed with the Nats on a one-year take care of a $2MM assure and $2MM of bonuses. For the rebuilding Nats membership, it was hoped {that a} transfer from left subject again to his pure first base place would assist Smith get again on observe and maybe flip him right into a commerce candidate. However that didn’t precisely work out.
He stayed wholesome sufficient to take 586 plate appearances over 153 video games final yr however had restricted influence on the plate. His 15.5% strikeout charge was about seven proportion factors decrease than most of his earlier profession work, however he hit simply 15 dwelling runs for the yr. He completed the season with a .254/.326/.366 line and wRC+ of 90. That’s not disastrous output however lower than perfect for a primary baseman, the place a potent bat is usually the expectation.
Defensively, the transfer again to first was a hit, as Smith earned 5 Defensive Runs Saved, one Out Above Common and a grade of 5.1 from Final Zone Score. However the Nats determined to maneuver on nonetheless. They may have retained Smith by way of arbitration, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting a modest wage of $4.3MM, however Smith was non-tendered and despatched again to the open market.
Maybe he traded an excessive amount of energy for contact. As talked about, his strikeout charge was abnormally low in 2023 in comparison with his earlier work. Putting out much less isn’t a foul factor, however his 86.3 mph common exit velocity was not less than two miles under each different season of his profession. Getting again to specializing in doing harm would maybe result in extra punchouts but additionally extra homers. Up to now this offseason, his market has been pretty quiet. He had reported curiosity from the Pirates, however that was earlier than they signed Rowdy Tellez.
For the White Sox, they’ve Andrew Vaughn at first base and Eloy Jiménez probably within the designated hitter spot more often than not. Jimenez can play the outfield, as can Smith, however neither is powerful on the market on the grass. Jiménez has obtained some commerce curiosity this offseason and will maybe discover himself on the transfer, or perhaps the membership is simply eyeing Smith as a backup within the occasion of damage. Jiménez has handled varied illnesses all through his profession and hasn’t but topped 122 video games in a significant league season.
Smith received’t command an enormous wage. The Nats presumably referred to as different golf equipment and tried to gauge commerce curiosity earlier than letting him go for nothing, which means that no membership across the league was prepared to pay a couple of million to get Smith in November. Which means the Sox might presumably signal him for a reasonably modest charge, even when they solely envision him as a bench bat or part-time participant.
The membership is doing a roster retool of types and will have loads of cash for such a transfer. Roster Useful resource estimates that their 2024 payroll is ready to be $151MM. They’d an Opening Day determine of $181MM final yr and have been at $193MM the yr earlier than that, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts. In the event that they pull the set off on offers for rumored commerce candidates like Jiménez or Dylan Stop, it might solely drop them farther from these numbers.
