Port St. Lucy – It's been a while since Dom Smith and Pete Alonso, who have hit the league since leaving the Mets in 2022, have played.
But now, Smith is about to win a roster with the Crosstown Yankees, with some coming out indefinitely with Giancarlo Stanton injured both elbows, so Smith could be in the Bronx on opening day after signing a minor league contract in the offseason.
And while Alonso hasn't kept in touch with his former teammates like he did before, he split between the Reds and Red Sox last season, pulling the 29-year-old who has three homers for the Yankees this spring.
“I'm really happy with him that he has a good camp,” Alonso said of Smith, who was once considered the Mets' first baseman until Alonso arrived.
“Dom is a really good player and I hope they break him with his team and give him plenty of at-bats,” Alonso said.
Smith is fighting Ben Rice and J.C. Eskara. Both were left-handed batsmen, and at least part-time DH duties began the season after right-handed Everson Pereira was sent back from Tommy John's surgery and sent to minor league camp.
Rice and Eskara can back up Austin Wells to provide depth behind the plate. It is also always possible that the Yankees will add a right swing option before the end of their spring training.
But for now, Smith remains in the mix.
His career peaked in 2020. He won MVP votes during a season when covid, who initially had a squad with Alonso, was reduced.
There was once a bit of debate about how the Mets should handle the position they are moving forward before Alonso became a full-time base move in 2021.
He returned to Queens again after a rough advance to free agency, but Smith has traveled far more evasively through the majors since being untendered by the Mets following the 2022 season.
Smith has appeared in big league games in Washington, Cincinnati and Boston, but spent time with the Cubs and Rays before joining the Yankees in January.
“One thing about Dom is that he always has a great attitude and makes everyone smile,” Alonso said. “It's always matched with him. He makes everyone around him want to be better. He has a very positive personality and there's a lot he can do to help his team.”
And Alonso hopes that happens with the Yankees.
“I want him to do well for them and crush it over there,” Alonso said. “The people in New York love him. I hope that when the camp season begins, they will give him a runway when he is successful. He deserves it.”
