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Veteran Opting to Cut Ties With Yankees After Strong Spring Training

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sean Deveney | Last updated Mar 21, 2025 6:38 PM ET

For Yankees manager Aaron Boone, figuring out how to balance the team's bench as spring training winds down is one of the remaining challenges. Certainly, injuries have thrown Boone's original plans into disarray, as right-handed slugger Giancarlo Stanton is out indefinitely with elbow troubles, and lefty Ben Rice is likely to take over for him at the designated hitter's spot.

That leaves the Bombers with an increasingly lefty look. The lineup will likely have four lefties and three righties, with Jasson Dominguez and Oswaldo Carbera as switch hitters.

On the bench, the Yankees are tabbed to keep J.C. Escarra and Trent Grisham, both lefties, as well.

For veteran first baseman and DH Dom Smith, the writing was on the wall. Despite a very strong spring, in which he batted .297 with three home runs and 12 RBIs, Smith could see he did not much fit in with the Yankees and decided, according to multiple reports, to opt out of his contract with New York.

Smith signed a minor-league deal with the Yankees, but because he is a veteran, he has the ability to opt out of the contract if he thinks he can get a major-league deal elsewhere. The Yankees do have the option of keeping him in place, though, by giving him a spot on the roster.

According to the New York Post, though, that's not happening.

"Clubs typically have 24-48 hours to add a player to the roster once he opts out, though it appears unlikely that Smith will make the team with the Yankees more in need of a right-handed hitter," beat writer Greg Joyce noted.

Smith is a career .246 hitter with a .717 OPS. He played for the Red Sox and Reds last year, but spent the first six of his eight MLB seasons with the Mets.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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