Mike Rizzo and Co. in the Nationals’ front office signed Dominic Smith to a 1-year/$2M deal last winter, hoping the veteran, left-handed hitting infielder/outfielder would bounce back after six up-and-down seasons with New York’s Mets, who drafted Smith in the first round (No. 11 overall) in 2013.
“We were looking at Dom as a bounce-back player,” Rizzo explained this winter, after Smith was DFA’d by the club and became a free agent again.
“We knew defensively he was going to help our young infielders. That was a big key for it.
“He was a left-handed hitter.