Dominic Smith was a frequent topic in trade rumors during the offseason. Once the New York Mets had revamped their outfield by signing Starling Marte and Mark Canha, and added Eduardo Escobar to the mix at third base, Smith appeared to be on the way out the door.
There was even a deal in place. Smith was heading to the Padres in exchange for Chris Paddack, Eric Hosmer, and Emilio Pagan, giving him a path to playing time. However, the Mets nixed the trade because they saw something concerning in Paddack’s medicals, something that was proven correct when the now-Twins pitcher required Tommy John surgery.
Dominic Smith’s trade value plummeting for New York Mets
In theory, the Mets would have been able to trade Smith at some point during the season. While he was stuck in a bench role, essentially as the same player as J.D. Davis, he could generate interest by playing well in those limited opportunities. Instead, Smith struggled to the point where he has been sent down to Triple-A.
It was seemingly a matter of time. Neither he nor Davis had seen much action this season and the Mets could use that bench spot for a better depth piece. Smith also did not help his cause with his performance, as he posted a .186/.287/.256 batting line with four doubles and a triple in his 101 plate appearances.
This is a somewhat surprising result for a player that had appeared to have solidified themselves as part of the Mets future not that long ago. He finished 13th in the NL MVP vote in 2020, but had been unable to replicate that performance due to injury last season. While Smith is fully healthy this year, he was not able to get into a groove at the plate.
Smith will still have some trade value. He is under team control through 2024 and may just need a change of scenery. However, the Mets were not particularly keen on the idea of trading him at a discount during this offseason. Any trade packages they receive for him now will have even less value.
It is easy to look back with hindsight and say that the Mets should have worked harder to trade Smith during the offseason. At the same time, it made sense to wait and see if he could rebuild his value now that he was healthy. Instead, his trade value has fallen even further.
The New York Mets had a chance to trade Dominic Smith this offseason. In retrospect, that would have been the right move to make.