The Boston Red Sox are staring down the MLB trade deadline and could stand to improve in a number of areas.
One of the biggest areas where Boston might try to add, though, is at first base. If the Red Sox don't want to make a big swing for a player like Washington Nationals' Josh Bell, perhaps a lower-cost move is easy to rationalize given the current American League standings.
New York Mets buy-low candidate Dominic Smith might fit the picture as someone worth adding. The Mets first baseman already has been linked to Chaim Bloom and company, per FanSided's Robert Murray.
Smith, 27, might not offer the same consistency as other options on the market would, but he'd provide the Red Sox with another option on the bag. He's fallen out of grace in New York while splitting time in Triple-A Syracuse and the big leagues.
The left-handed Smith is batting a career-worst .194 with zero home runs, 11 extra-base hits and 17 RBIs along with a .560 OPS in 152 big league plate appearances. He is, however, just two seasons removed from hitting a career-best .316 with 10 home runs, 42 RBIs and a .992 OPS in 50 games during the shortened season. He had a solid season in 2019, as well, with a .282 batting average and .881 OPS in 89 games.
Perhaps a change of scenery for Smith helps him get back to that production while simultaneously not costing the Red Sox much?
The decision to add Smith also would have a lot to do with what the Red Sox currently have at the position. The platoon of first baseman Bobby Dalbec and first baseman/outfielder Franchy Cordero has hindered the Red Sox this season. Boston's first basemen rank last in the MLB in OPS and are among the bottom teams in average and home runs, as pointed out by MassLive's Chris Cotillo.
Dalbec is hitting just .205 with a .629 OPS to go along with seven homers and 22 RBIs in 83 games (252 plate appearances). Cordero, meanwhile, is hitting .225 with a .671 OPS, four home runs and 24 RBIs in 63 games (216 plate appearances). Not to mention Cordero has struck out 15 times in his last 16 plate at-bats.
Smith might not be a playoff-solidifying move some Red Sox fans seek, but a low-cost addition on the margins might be more in line with what the organization is seeking.
