It was fun while it lasted. The Red Sox, days after getting star first baseman Triston Casas back on the roster and designating Dominic Smith for assignment, finally cut ties with Smith altogether, giving him his release on Tuesday.
If there was a player who summed up this surprising Red Sox bunch that has managed to stay in playoff contention deep in the summer, it was Smith. He had a rough go in the beginning, but he got hot as the season went on, and his penchant for clutch hits was one of a few reasons he became an instant fan favorite.
Smith, a 29-year-old former Mets first-round pick, hit .237 with a .317 on-base percentage and a .390 slugging percentage, but in the 33 games before he was let go, he had been hitting .284 with a .845 OPS. The Red Sox ultimately couldn’t keep a roster spot for Smith, not with injuries piling up and the need for more righties on a lefty-dominant roster. (Smith is a lefty.)
Red Sox’s Alex Cora: ‘Tough Decision’
Red Sox manager Alex Cora explained how difficult the decision was to let go of Smith after how he had performed with Casas out. The Red Sox were expecting big things from Casas this season, before an oblique injury in April torpedoed his year. In June and July, at least, Smith kept them afloat.
“He was outstanding. Outstanding,” Cora said, via MassLive. “It’s one of those that’s a tough decision. But one that everybody knew was going to happen. Roster-wise, it was hard to keep him with us. But he put great at-bats. He only had one bad defensive week. He didn’t make like two plays. But after that, he settled down.
“The picks at first base, the calmness for the guys around him was very important. In the clubhouse, huge. It was very important for those guys. Always upbeat, always ready to go. He found his groove two weeks ago or three weeks ago. He’s A-plus. A-plus. He’s a good player. He’s still young and he has a bright future, still, in the game.”
Smith can still hook on with another MLB team that needs help at first base, and given the way he hit over the past two months, he likely will. As long as he signs before the start of September, he will be eligible to take part in the playoffs.
Dominic Smith Earned Popularity in Boston
Smith’s performance on the field is only part of the story for his time with the Red Sox, though. Around Boston, Smith made an impression for his ability to connect with fans in interviews and appearances.
On the Red Sox podcast “310 to Left” with Tom Caron and Alex Speier, Smith tried to explain how taken aback he was by the reception he got at Fenway.
“I felt the connection right away. I can’t even lie to you guys,” Smith said via Sporting News. “From Day 1, I felt the excitement. Even when I would have a couple of bad at-bats or I wasn’t hitting particularly well early in the season, I just remember walking up on deck and fans would be like, ‘I love you, Dom. Just keep grinding, keep going.’
“Just that level of positive motivation for me made me feel really good and made me really feel like the fans really gravitated towards me, my energy and just wanted me to do well.
“Then, a few weeks later, I did a Q&A with some of the fans … Just seeing their reaction, you can just tell that they really just enjoy watching me play. I felt like I wasn’t even playing well at the time. They just kept saying they loved my defense. I’m like ‘Dang, I just made like four errors.’ It’s just been awesome just to see how they’ve reacted towards me and just how much they love watching me.
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Red Sox Cut Ties With ‘Outstanding’ Fan Favorite