The Braves have agreed to a minor league deal with first baseman Dominic Smith, per Chad Bishop of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Roc Nation client will be a non-roster invitee in big league camp.
A former first-round pick and top prospect, Smith looked to be breaking out in 2019-20, when he slashed a combined .299/.366/.571 with 21 homers in only 396 plate appearances for the Mets. He tried to play through a small tear in his right shoulder’s labrum the following season and saw his numbers unsurprisingly crater. In 2024, Smith suffered a broken hamate bone in his right hand that required surgical repair, and surgeons suggested at the time that he may have had a stress reaction in that hand for several seasons, based on the way things looked in the aftermath of the injury.
From 2021-24, Smith tallied 1538 major league plate appearances but hit only .241/.311/.360 — nowhere close to that 2019-20 peak. Some degree of regression always seemed likely, but a decline so precipitous was nonetheless a bit surprising. Knowing with the benefit of hindsight that Smith was playing through multiple injuries of note help to explain that yearslong dip.
The 2025 season wasn’t back to peak levels, but Smith took 225 plate appearances with the Giants and posted an above-average .284/.333/.417 batting line (111 wRC+). He was heavily shielded from lefties and hit only .200/.259/.280 in 27 plate appearances versus southpaws, but Smith tagged righties at a stout .296/.343/.436 clip. He also posted a respectable .255/.333/.448 line in 45 games with the Yankees’ Triple-A club before landing in San Francisco.
There’s no obvious path to regular playing time in Atlanta for Smith — not with Matt Olson entrenched at first base and a rotation of four veterans to split time between the outfield and designated hitter (Jurickson Profar, Ronald Acuña Jr., Mike Yastrzemski and Michael Harris II). Smith gives Atlanta some depth at first base in the event of an Olson injury, however, and he could step into a more prominent DH role if there’s an injury to any of those four outfielders.
The Braves’ bench is also pretty light on offense, with utilityman Brett Wisely and fourth outfielder Eli White penciled into roles at present due to both being out of minor league options. Smith isn’t your quintessential big lefty bat off the bench, but he’s coming off an above-average season at the plate (particularly against righties) and at least has some minimal experience in left field in addition to his large sample of work at first base.
The Braves only just reacquired Wisely last week (for cash) and as such certainly are not fully committed to giving him a roster spot. White can handle all three outfield positions while Jorge Mateo and Mauricio Dubon (who’ll start at shortstop while Ha-Seong Kim is on the injured list) give the Braves plenty of defensive versatility if they want to carry a more limited lefty bat like Smith on the bench to begin the season.
I’d like to petition that we change WAR to WADS. Wins above Dominic Smith.
The Modern Mendoza.
Yes but does MLB have the NADS to make the change?
Since he debuted in 2017 Dom has 0.3 fWAR, by far the fewest amongst those with 2000 PA.
Going back to the year 2000 he has the lowest fWAR (min 2000 PA) that isn’t negative. Only Delmon Young, Daryl Ward, and Roger Cedeno are lower, all negative.
Since 1980, the only player closer to replacement level in 2000 PA is Eric Owens (-0.1)
Yeah man, you’re making my case for me.
WADS are you going on about?
Sloth Bear on the move !
Yet another illustration of how little value veteran 1B have. Dom had a 113 OPS+ last year. Can’t get a major league deal and has to settle for a “just get into a camp” arrangement and hope someone has an injury.
He could really only hit righties and his numbers there appear to be inflated by a very high (.343) babip. He’s really a AAAA type player. Seems to have great energy though.
You have to play more than 1B on a four man bench. Everyone has to be able to play multiple positions on that bench now.
After his stay in Boston I became a Dom Smith fan but the truth is he plays only first and provides little power. Thus, he’s always going to have to wait for an injury to happen. He’ll be on a big league roster at some point this season.
Well according to the reports, his time with Boston was hampered by a long standing hand injury so yeah his power was gone there because of it. It’s a non-roster invite so won’t hurt the Braves. If anything it helps as ther depth behind Olson is SCARY now that Ozuna is gone. Need someone to play it.
never saw Ozuna play first, he was SCARY enough in Left. I guess it makes sense that I had no idea who our backup 1B was since Olson hasn’t missed a game in years! If Ozuna was indeed the backup, it surely was just to check a box?
And the crazy thing is, he won a Gold Glove just a few years before coming to Atlanta. As much as I want to hate on that, it was actually deserved based on metrics, but it just tells me those metrics HAVE to be flawed.
The most HRs he’s ever hit in a season is 12, which for the position is insufficient to guarantee a job. That said, for a playoff team that suddenly sustains a big injury, his experience and overall play are ideal as an emergency fill in.
Looked really good last year for SFG.
Keep in mind, we were used to watching Lamont Wade though…
He was really good with the Giants last year. Offense and defensive.
Brandon Belt never got signed a couple of offseasons ago and quietly faded into obscurity. I wonder if Rhys Hoskins is going to end up the same. Probably not yet.
New Mike Ford
Trade profar for pitching before he becomes a problem, Murphy platoons with smith
This
I’m going to say Profar has little trade value.
Bah. Profar was just fine after he came back and got going. He has never really been a problem child compared to some of these guys playing now.
I am just going to edit and delete what I said about Smith. What happened to this guy? No way he makes the team out of camp. He will opt out to become a FA and move on.
Am I the only one who thinks it’s weird that he’s wearing a Yankees cap on his BR page?
No? It is Yankees legend Dom Smith that we are talking about here.
I’ve seen players wearing unis on their pages of teams they signed with at some point but never actually took the field for before they either were traded or retired. It’s funny but also definitely weird:)
He signed with the Yankees on a ML deal with an invite to spring training last off-season. It’s probably his most recent picture, due to that. His picture will be updated with an Atlanta hat soon enough.
Braves becoming Giants South. Hope that Yaz, Smith, Dubon and Wisely are all in the lineup when they come visit.
Smith was actually very good last year – had consistently good ABs and played a strong 1B. We had nowhere to play him this year, but he’s also an odd fit in Atlanta and probably won’t stick there either.
Good for Dom to get into camp. I could see him making the opening day roster if Profar and Murphy both start the season on the IL
I also imagine as a veteran who was on a MLB roster at year’s end he will have rhe standard Spring Training/Early Season Opt-outs of his deal if it seems like he won’t make the big league roster.
This gives Dom a chance to prove he belongs if not in Atlanta then somewhere.
Can he pitch?
The way things are going, feels like Luke Williams is gonna end up in the rotation.
Slow-pitch softball maybe
Decent backup and bench player against righties. he has very little pop in his bat, so when you need a single Dom may produce.
Not really a bad idea to sign with my Braves who are as an injury prone bunch as they come. The downside for Dominic Smith if that is his thought process is that Matt Olson always posts 162 games.
Dom is good enough for a MLB contract.
Not only can he still hit, he plays a very good 1B (only one error last year).
He can also play the OF. The Giants chose not to play him on the grass but he wouldn’t embarrass himself on a limited basis.
Smith also brings a wise and mentoring attitude to his team. He was great for the Giants in that way, like an extra coach.
The Nats, Dbacks and Rockies should have been on this guy.
Apparently not
Go Dom!
Don’t know how he couldn’t get a major league deal tbh. Great player and clubhouse guy for us last year
Meet your May DH (and onward) everyone!
Profar DHing will only be temporary. Braves never bothered to replace Ozuna (because why would they replace someone who left???).
They’ll attempt to confuse you for April putting Profar there, making it seem like we had no room to add a DH, then move him back to the OF where he really belongs and before you know it Dom Smith was our Ozuna replacement
Bargain bin shopping as is the Braves way!
Looks like they need another starter after today’s news.
Bidding war for Giolito in process.
@2032: So lost. Yaz, Profar, Baldwin, Acuna, and Murphy will get the DH at bats this season. Smith won’t play a day in Atlanta as a Brave. Weiss has been adamant that he doesn’t want one player as the dedicated DH.
Can he pitch?