Bryce Eldridge’s emergence is a big reason why the SF Giants did not re-sign left-handed bat

The SF Giants expressed interest in re-signing Dominic Smith in the offseason. However, that never came to fruition due in large part to Bryce Eldridge’s expected emergence.

The Giants faced off against the Atlanta Braves last week. They seem to be collecting former Giants players, and recently added to their collection by trading for Joey Bart.

Smith is included in that mix as well. He did not sign with Atlanta until spring training began, and it was only a minor league deal. It is a sign that he did not have a robust market despite putting up solid numbers last year. That move has paid off for the Braves, as he has posted a .766 OPS with six home runs and 31 RBI in 180 plate appearances.

The veteran bat got off to a good start, which raised the question about why the Giants did not pursue a reunion more aggressively. Smith joined San Francisco midway through last season and was a productive hitter. He slashed .284/.333/.417 (111 wRC+) with five home runs, 33 RBI, and 26 runs in 225 plate appearances.

Dominic Smith’s playing time with the SF Giants would have disappeared overnight

Smith had a knack for the clutch hit, and was a quality defender at first base. Despite his brief time with the club, he was a popular player.

While the Giants could have made a more earnest attempt to re-sign Smith, the pending arrival of Bryce Eldridge made that an unlikely outcome. Going into the season, the Giants were hopeful that Eldridge would play his way onto the roster. They did not know exactly when that would happen, but they expected it. Less than three months into the season, he has hit his way into the NL Rookie of the Year conversation.

As soon as Eldridge was called up, Smith’s playing time would disappear overnight. He would have been the third left-handed hitting first baseman on the depth chart, which would have relegated him to being a bench player.

It would have been a short-sighted move for the Giants to re-sign Smith. Plus, this is a two-way street. The veteran bat did not have much of a track record for consistent success in recent years, so his best bet would have been to join a team that offered a clearer path to playing time. He knew that would not be with the Giants. Smith found a good landing spot, and has played a role with a team that has playoff aspirations. It worked out pretty nicely for him.

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