TAMPA – Dom Smith’s strong camp has led to him opting out of his Yankees contract.
The left-handed hitter was scratched from the Yankees’ lineup Friday as he triggered the opt-out in his contract, a source confirmed.
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.
As of Friday, Smith was batting .297 with a .857 OPS through 37 at-bats this spring while playing on a minor league deal.
But the Yankees are already flush with left-handed hitters, making it difficult to add him to the bench.
Giancarlo Stanton’s elbow injuries gave Smith an outside shot to make the team, but fellow left-handed hitter Ben Rice has emerged as the likely candidate to get the majority of at-bats at DH to start the year.
And the Yankees will likely have two more lefties, J.C. Escarra and Trent Grisham, on their bench, which does not help Smith’s cause.
The other two bench spots could be filled by the right-handed hitting Oswald Peraza, who is out of minor league options, and non-roster invite Pablo Reyes, a utilityman who has become a favorite of manager Aaron Boone’s.
