Red Sox sign Dominic Smith
- Thread starter DeadlySplitter
- Start date
Makes sense if they want L/R balance with Cooper as the full-time first baseman and Smith as his backup who can face certain righties. I'm guessing this is the prelude to Dalbec getting sent down.
I was thinking that, too. A short-term roster space seems to be a common denominator to many of these moves today. And if they DFA one of these guys like Smith or Short in 3 weeks, so what. Regardless, I like the idea of having a glove-first backup behind Rafaela at SS.
This might not be the exact way the transactions match up, but I'm thinking of it as:
Cooper for Dalbec
Short for Hamilton
Grissom for Valdez
Smith for Yoshida
With Smith understanding his time in The Show might be temporary.
Smith is a 28 yr-old LHH 1B who can play LF in a pinch. He was last good with the bat in 2020. His splits have flip-flopped since then.
Cooper is a 33 yr-old RHH who is a dedicated 1B. Recently good with the bat, his splits also shift quite a bit in the last 3 years.
They're both pretty flawed, but I think the 2024 nod goes to Cooper.
But I'm not sure why you'd carry both, unless there's some health issue we haven't yet heard of.
Only reason I'd see to carry both is if the FO really wants a backup lefty-hitting 1B to spell Cooper once or twice a week and has given up on Dalbec and/or Yoshida is going to be out for a while
Between Smith and Short, it sure seems like "bottom of the barrel" day. Is Wil Myers unavailable?
Bottom of the barrel is kinda where you have to shop when you're looking for short term solutions to short term problems and don't want to screw up future considerations. These guys are being signed so they can be cut easily and painlessly when other guys (Casas, Grissom, Gonzalez, Yoshida, etc) are healthy and ready to be activated again. Not every player acquisition has to be made with the idea that the new player is going to be an all star contributor.
The 40 man is going to be weird.
B-Ref has them at 44 total, including: Story, Casas, Giolito, Hendricks, Murphy on the 60 day IL.
That gets them to 39 with Smith and Short to add.
Maybe Murphy goes on the 60, and/or Yoshida does. Otherwise they have to DFA someone.
B-Ref has them at 44 total, including: Story, Casas, Giolito, Hendricks, Murphy on the 60 day IL.
That gets them to 39 with Smith and Short to add.
Maybe Murphy goes on the 60, and/or Yoshida does. Otherwise they have to DFA someone.
I am stunned that Dom Smith is 28. I feel like he's been kicking around forever. He is the epitome of replacement-level -- career WAR of 1.1 and OPS+ of 97.
He had great numbers in limited (~200) ABs in 2019 and 2020 and hasn't done much since.
Edited to add -- just realized it feels like he's been around forever because I've combined Dom Smith and Dom Brown into one player in my mind.
He had great numbers in limited (~200) ABs in 2019 and 2020 and hasn't done much since.
Edited to add -- just realized it feels like he's been around forever because I've combined Dom Smith and Dom Brown into one player in my mind.
Yep - Dominic Smith is the Mets 1B prospect (once upon a time) who mashed back in 2019-2020
YEAR PA OPS
2019 197 880
2020 199 993
But has fallen on hard times since then
edit Spacing
YEAR PA OPS
2019 197 880
2020 199 993
But has fallen on hard times since then
edit Spacing
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He'd have to be to have played last night like he did. (he was added when they DFA'd Reyes)
Presumably by the end of this series if not the end of the week, Short, Smith and Grissom will be on the active roster and Yoshida, Hamilton and Dalbec will be gone. I think Valdez might stick on the bench in the meantime since his bat, though it hasn't shown itself much, has the best potential to possibly see time at DH while Yoshida's out.
In the abstract, I'd agree, but he's 3 for his last 23 with 9Ks. . .so it's not like he's trending in the right direction at the moment. So perhaps a stint in AAA wouldn't be the worst thing.
I don't disagree. I'm just looking at the three optionable candidates (Valdez, Dalbec, and Hamilton) and trying to guess which one of them is more likely to turn it around at the plate in the short term (getting better luck, fewer significant adjustments), and went with the guy who's currently sporting a .190 BABIP vs .292 for each of the other two guys.
I disagree. I think the fact that Valdez can only play 2B will make him the guy who goes down once they activate Grissom. McMillan of the Globe pretty much said the same on pre game show.
Right, but they need a Yoshida replacement too. Once Grissom and Short are activated, the regular 8 position players are going to be Wong, Cooper, Grissom, Rafaela, Devers, O'Neill, Duran, and Abreu. That leaves McGuire, Smith, Short, Refsnyder and ??? to fill the bench and DH slot. My contention is that last spot should go to the best offensive potential you have left. That's Valdez IMO.
Agreed. If Cooper is good to go, Smith and Short leave no reason for Dalbec to remain in Boston. That means you're looking at choosing between Hamilton and Valdez. ATM he has more value to this team than Hamilton on offense and defense.
