Dominic Smith has done everything to carve out a role with a big league organization since parting ways with the Boston Red Sox last season.
Smith joined the New York Yankees at spring training after signing a minor league deal, but the pinstripes weren’t the right fit. The 29-year-old opted out after failing to land a spot on the reigning American League champions’ roster, rejoined the club and then opted out again following a 45-game run with New York’s Triple-A affiliate (the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders).
It didn’t work out with the Yankees, but Smith found his latest opportunity with the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday. The Giants signed the eight-year veteran to a one-year deal, per a team announcement, as part of a slew of roster moves made before San Francisco’s matchup against the San Diego Padres at Oracle Park.
Smith’s arrival in the Bay Area will mark the left-handed hitter’s sixth club, and even though he hasn’t debuted yet this season for an MLB team, Smith put together a solid sample size in New York’s farm system.
The production was impressive both on the field and in the batter’s box from Smith in Triple-A this season. He slashed .255/.333/.781 with eight home runs and 28 RBIs — seven of Smith’s round trippers came in the month of May — and logged appearances primarily in left field to go along with first base and right field to showcase his defensive versatility.
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Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey told reporters that the front office hasn’t been “satisfied with the production” and that they’d “exhaust all options” moving forward. San Francisco’s lineup has gone 16 straight games without scoring over four runs, marking the team’s longest such streak in 60 years. So perhaps Smith could slide in and provide the Giants with a boost to help repair their third-place standing (33-28) in the National League West, while also improving his own stock value.
