Some fans want Dom Smith playing first base defensively every day. Some, on the other hand, want him traded.
Some cite his 1 for 11 start as "this is not working, trade him."
But that was after he went 11 for 26 with 6 XHHs in spring training, excluding the two early HRs he hit off Max Scherzer which didn't officially count. He was ripping, then he got cold, but does "cold" last forever? How small are small samples, before they are not samples at all?
Does patience exist any longer?
Didn't we lose guys like Travis d'Arnaud through a lack of patience?
As a case in point, Babe Ruth hit in the .220s in April 1920 with no HRs and 3 RBIs, and ended up that year at .378 with 54 dingers.
Some impulsive, impatient Mets fans today would have been demanding he be traded before the end of that April.
What say you about Dom? Should he be a Dom-de-Dom-Dom domino about to fall, or should he be playing them all? Your call, y'all.
And Good Friday and Happy Easter to those of you who observe it.
7 comments:
In my opinion, Dom Smith is a talented big league player. He has a good bat and is a very solid first baseman. He has trained himself to play an adequate left field when called upon. He is also a very positive influence on this team. He deserves much more playing time, but is stuck behind some other guys that have earned the right to their spot. Dom doesn't whine about it, and doesn't sulk around the dugout. This is a great example to other bench players who are not as good as him. So I would love to keep him around.
That said, Dom deserves to play, and if a team wants to give up VALUE to make him their everyday first baseman, then I would take the trade.
The Mets have spent years being watered down by injuries.
It's only a matter of time that first base is added to that list.
Fir this reason alone, I consider him much more valuable than guys like J.D. Davis.
Is Dom's ceiling Lucas Duda? Will he ever be that good? Or Ike Davis?
We don't know.
He's already making $4 million, so he's not even cheap anymore. That's what killed Duda.
I'd think that every MLB team has a couple of guys they can throw on 1B. Prospects or otherwise.
Dom is not "fine" in LF. He's atrociously bad.
He was a -0.8 WAR last year.
He wants to play everyday. Fine. Help the team win games. That's the answer. Managers don't "decide" who plays. The players reveal themselves.
At 1B, Dom is smooth but just average. The numbers, thus far, call him far less than average, but I don't think the sample size is meaningful. He's a short, slow guy with an okay arm; let's stop pretending he's some kind of defensive savant over there.
Now as for Pete and DH:
1) The Mets, as a team, are better off if Pete can play the field. It gives them flexibility at DH spot rather than clogging it up with one guy.
2) In one year -- and I would contend that it's a move I'd make at the end of August, right before eligibility for playoff rosters is set -- Alvarez will be on the club. And he is going to DH a LOT while he slowly, gradually learns how to handle the staff. Meaning that Pete is going to play a lot of 1B next season.
3) Neither Cano nor Smith are making a case for themselves.
4) Davis is a good hitter -- can't field -- and he deserves some DH time (and not just about LHP). Another reason why you want Pete on the field.
LOOK . . .
There are people who *believe* in Dom Smith. Who *think* that he'll hit, and hit a lot. Okay, fine. All he has to do is . . . do it.
5) Please stop quoting ST stats and one inter-team scrimmage. Beyond meaningless.
At this point, Dom is in the correct role. He's going to have to hit his way out of it. When he steps up to the plate, everybody is rooting for him to succeed. There's no plot against Dom Smith.
6) Unfortunately, he has almost no trade value. We're not going to get something good back for him. Maybe an interesting arm in the low minors, that kind of thing.
7) For now, he's a LH bat & Cano Insurance. Since it is very possible that Cano fails in his role, you hate to dump Dom prematurely.
CONCLUSION: I think you ride this out and hope for the best. Most of it is in Dom's hands. He's a brutal outfielder who hurts the team when he stands out there. So he's got to hit a lot as a DH. I see him continuing to get starts, 2-3 times a week, and he needs to make a positive contribution. That would be different. Can he do it? Maybe. He's shown flashes, for sure.
Is a bad? No. Is he good enough? Doubtful. Is the money going to become a problem? Yes, absolutely.
I just don't find him all that useful.
Jimmy
All good comments. Me? He was hurt last year, but if you add up his sporadic 2019 and 2020 stats, darned good - without looking them back up, .300/.550-ish. Duda never did that. Smith is a superior hitter if given the chance.
I DO think that his spring #s, while generally meaningless, show he is healthy again, and despite his 1 for 11 start, that he will hit well. I think Cano will fritter out (age has a way of catching up to everyone) and Dom will get more (but still not everyday) ABs. And be beneficial.
I think the Mets hold him until the All Star break at least, unless they get truly desperate. Another key pitching injury or two, we'll be there.
And yes, he is not an outfielder. I have very little doubt that as a fielder, when I was his age, I'd have been a better fielder, because I was faster and more athletic. He's bottom quintile in outfield fielding, putting it generously.
He is a solid fielding 1B, but he is no Keith Hernandez. Not by a long shot.
Tom- Are there any solid relief pitchers still available on the free agent market that would be good signings?
Don't give up on Dom Smith too soon. The Mets have been burned on this too often over the past few years. Be patient.
JA Happ is out there, and hes a decent band-aid as a starter. He probably doesn't want to relieve at 39 y.o.
I have to agree with Jimmy, Dom and Davis need at bats. But, while Alonso is hot, he plays. Davis and Smith need to fight for time. Cano will never run hard enough to hurt any muscles, how long will this farce continue?
IF IT AIN'T BROKE DON'T FIX IT. Can we just please enjoy the moment as we have played less than 2 weeks and played very well so as that Sugarland album title says: Enjoy the Ride
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