Dominic Smith Will Play Winter League Ball This Year

Since it doesn’t appear likely that the New York Mets will give Dominic Smith a ton of big league opportunities this year, Smith is taking matters into his own hands. The first baseman/outfielder is planning on playing for Toros Del Este in the Dominican Winter League, Tim Healey of Newsday reports. Smith is expected to work on his outfield skills in the winter league, especially since that where the Mets had him spend the second half of the season playing for AAA Las Vegas. First base, Smith’s natural position, has become crowded with Peter Alonso’s emergence this season and the Mets’ plan to use Jay Bruce there at least part time in 2019.

The Mets have definitely not done right by Smith this year, giving him only 80 at bats over 33 games at the major league level. Smith hasn’t done much with his limited opportunities, hitting .200 with two home runs and three RBI’s, and only batted .258 in the hitter friendly Pacific Coast League. The Mets also asked Smith to move off of first base to accommodate Alonso, shifting him to left field, and that transition hasn’t gone very smoothly. Manager Mickey Callaway believes that playing winter ball could be a tremendous benefit for Smith, who will need to step up his game to compete with all of the great players who compete in the Dominican winter leagues.

Even if Smith has a good year in winter ball, it’s tough to see how he will fit on the Mets’ roster in 2019. The Mets have made it clear that they want to prioritize defense in the outfield, and that means playing Michael Conforto and Brandon Nimmo in the corners. Adding a natural center fielder would close the outfield door for Smith, and he is clearly behind Alonso now on the organization’s depth chart at first base. The presence of Bruce is also a complicating factor since he is a left handed hitter with a backloaded contract, further blocking Smith from big league time. Smith can only help his cause by getting extra reps in winter ball, and if he plays well the Mets have to hope he can carry that performance over to spring training.