The Washington Nationals have agreed to terms on a one-year, $2 million contract with Dominic Smith, a source told ESPN on Tuesday, confirming multiple reports.
Smith, 27, provides the Nationals an experienced left-handed hitter who can contribute at first base, left field or designated hitter.
Smith was non-tendered by the New York Mets around the middle of November on the heels of a rough 2022 season that ended in the minor leagues.
A first-round pick out of high school nine years ago, Smith broke out in his age-24 season in 2019, posting an .881 OPS in 89 games, then excelled during the COVID-19-shortened season of 2020, slashing .316/.377/.616 while finishing 13th in National League MVP voting. But Smith’s production fell off thereafter, his slash line dropping to .233/.298/.345 in 645 plate appearances from 2021 to 2022.
Smith lost playing time at DH early on to Robinson Cano last season, then struggled offensively after Cano’s release, sprained his right ankle and spent the last six weeks with the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate. The Mets removed Smith from their roster rather than pay him the $4 million or so he could have earned in his third year of arbitration. His new contract reportedly comes with an additional $2 million in incentives.
With the Nats, clearly in rebuilding mode, Smith could evolve into an everyday first baseman — a position he’s better suited for defensively, but one he never established himself at with the Mets because of Pete Alonso‘s emergence. USA Today first reported Smith’s agreement with the Nationals.