Dom Smith Reportedly Exercises Yankees Contract Opt-Out Amid Strong MiLB Performance

First baseman Dominic Smith is opting out of his contract with the New York Yankees after spending the first two months of the 2025 season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.

The 29-year-old is now a free agent, per Passan.

Smith played six seasons with the New York Mets before spending time with the Washington Nationals, Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds over the last three seasons.

After joining the Yankees' spring training camp as a non-roster invite, Smith ultimately opted out of his initial deal before re-signing on a new minor league deal with the club on March 31.

At the time of his initial opt-out, Smith had batted .297 with three home runs in 13 Grapefruit League games.

The Yankees already had a crowded outfield and Paul Goldschmidt at first base, and Ben Rice won the competition to step in for Giancarlo Stanton at DH.

"He came in and has done everything he's needed to do," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said about Smith after he didn't make the 40-man roster, per ESPN's Jorge Castillo. "I think clearly he's a big league player. He's been great in the room. He's performed. I feel like he's in really good shape. So we'll see what happens."

Smith's quest for a roster spot may also have been hurt by the Yankees' excess number of left-handed batters to start the season. Even now, USA Today's Bob Nightengale is reporting that the Yankees are "aggressively" searching for a right-handed batter.

He has since found success in the minors, slashing .317/.389/.622 through 23 games in May with seven home runs and 22 RBI while spending most of his time in left field.

Although he hasn't found consistent production in the majors since his career with the Mets, Smith landed a major-league contract with the Reds shortly after he was cut by the Red Sox last season.

He will now hope to use his strong Triple-A season to make a similar bounce to another MLB roster.