The Dominic Smith era in Queens appears to be coming to an end.
According to MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo, the Mets are “expected” to non-tender Smith before Friday night’s deadline, meaning Smith would immediately become a free agent, with New York declining to offer him a contract.
The move isn’t an incredibly surprising one given Smith’s lack of a role with the team in the second half of last season, as the Mets added utility players like Daniel Vogelbach and Darin Ruf while Smith recovered from injury and eventually lingered in the minors. He logged 134 at-bats at the big league level in 2022, batting just .194 with a .560 OPS. In 2021, in a full season in the majors, he hit .244 with a .667 OPS.
The club seemed to bet on Smith earlier in the season when it cut Robinson Cano despite his bloated contract, keeping Smith with the big-league club when teams needed to trim its rosters.
But Smith didn’t pan out in 2022, and it appears he is heading for free agency.
Follow Ryan Chichester on Twitter: @ryanchichester1
Follow WFAN on Social Media
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Twitch
Listen live to WFAN:
Audacy App | Online Stream | Smart Speaker (just say ‘Play W-F-A-N’)