Dominic Smith, a first baseman, was designated for assignment earlier this week after teammate Triston Casas was activated from the injured list. The Red Sox announced Smith’s dismissal on Tuesday.
Smith, 29, signed with the Sox after Casas sustained a rib injury in May. After all, he appeared in 83 games, with 278 plate appearances and a batting line of.237/.317/.390. Smith walked at a good 9% clip, struck out at a little higher rate than the league average of 23.4%, and hit six home runs and twenty doubles along the way. During his time with the Red Sox, Smith’s wRC+ rating suggested that he was about 5% behind the league average at the plate.
In terms of defence, Smith is a bit of a mixed bag. Defensive Runs Saved gave him a positive rating last year, but that statistic will fall to -2 in 2024. He has performed below average overall in his career, but slightly above average in each of the previous three seasons, according to Statcast’s Outs Above Average. Smith’s glovework appears to have improved over time, although he is still not a particularly effective defensive player at his position.
Smith, a long-time top prospect, was taken 11th overall by the Mets in 2013. In 2019-20, he appeared to be living up to his reputation with a standout campaign.After 139 games and 396 plate appearances, he hit 299/.366/.571 with 21 home runs.
Nonetheless, Smith’s offence has deteriorated after his outstanding performance. He later admitted that he tried to play through a slight injury in his right shoulder’s labrum throughout the 2021 season, which likely impacted his dishoutput. He was also hampered in 2022 by an ankle ailment. Following his 2019-20 performance, Smith has a poor batting record of.242/.312/.361 in 1509 plate appearances; his four-year stint with Boston this year has been his most productive.
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