First baseman Dominic Smith will have the ability to opt out of his minor league deal with the Yankees if he’s not added to the 40-man roster (or, presumably, informed that he will be added prior to Opening Day) by the end of the day, reports SNY’s Andy Martino.
Smith joins a few dozen other veterans who’ll have the potential to opt out of their non-roster deals this weekend. Unlike the bulk of that group, Smith is not an Article XX(b) free agent who had uniform opt-out dates in his contract by default; while he has the requisite six-plus years of MLB service, he did not finish the 2024 season on a major league roster or injured list.
The 29-year-old Smith has had a productive camp with the Yankees. He’s tallied 38 plate appearances and gone 11-for-37 (.297) with three home runs and a double. He’s also yet to draw a walk but has been credited with a sacrifice fly, leading to an oddball small-sample batting line with an OBP that’s lower than his batting average: .297/.289/.568.
Smith is in the running to serve as a left-handed bat off the bench or perhaps even a more prominent role in the DH spot, with Giancarlo Stanton ticketed for the injured list. Both Smith and fellow lefty hitter Ben Rice have turned in strong performances this spring. Rice is hitting .260/.339/.560 with five homers in 57 plate appearances. There’s room for both on the roster, given injuries to Stanton and DJ LeMahieu, but the club would face some decisions on its DH and/or bench mix if they can get everyone healthy.
Smith spent the bulk of the 2024 season with the Red Sox and played regularly while Triston Casas was injured. He made a late cameo with the Reds, taking 29 plate appearances for Cincinnati. Between those two clubs, he slashed a respectable, if unspectacular .233/.313/.378 with six homers and 22 doubles in 307 plate appearances.
A former first-round pick and top prospect with the crosstown Mets, Smith looked to be breaking out back in 2019-20 when he slashed .299/.366/.571 in 139 games between those two seasons. He struggled in 2021, ultimately revealing that he spent much of the season playing through a small tear in the labrum of his right shoulder. His bat has never fully recovered, however, as evidenced by a cumulative .241/.311/.360 batting line in the four years since that eye-opening stretch in 2019-20.
Smith isn’t the only non-roster veteran who could force the Yankees to make a 40-man roster move this weekend. Right-hander Carlos Carrasco, who is widely expected to make the team as a member of the rotation, also has an opt-out tomorrow.
New York’s 40-man roster is currently full, but they have several candidates for the 60-day injured list. Gerrit Cole is a lock to be transferred there, as he’ll miss the season due to Tommy John surgery. Jonathan Loaisiga, recovering from an internal brace operation last April, is targeting a May or June return and is another candidate. Reigning Rookie of the Year Luis Gil suffered a lat strain in early March and is projected to miss a total of roughly three months, making him another obvious candidate. Placing two of that trio on the 60-day IL would open roster space for Carrasco and Smith, should the Yankees ultimately opt to carry both on the Opening Day roster.
