Deal Alert: New York Yankees Join Forces with Kevin Smith!

Infielder Kevin Smith has reached an agreement with the Yankees. The player shared a photo on X, featuring a child, presumably a younger version of Smith, donning Yankee attire with the caption “Headed Home for 2024.” The Bledsoe Agency represents the 27-year-old, who was born and played high school baseball in East Greenbush, New York. The deal, confirmed by Jon Heyman of The New York Post, is reported by Martín Gallegos of MLB.com to be a minor league contract. Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News was credited for sharing Smith’s post.

Smith, who spent the last two years with the Athletics following the Matt Chapman trade from the Blue Jays, has accumulated 333 plate appearances at the MLB level over the past three years but struggled with a batting line of .173/.215/.301 during that time. His final option year was utilized in 2023, leading to the A’s non-tendering him despite being two years away from arbitration eligibility.

In the minor leagues, Smith showcased better performance, especially in 2023. Across 183 Triple-A plate appearances, he boasted an impressive .324/.372/.653 batting line, yielding a wRC+ of 137. Although this success occurred in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, he also stole nine bases and played defensively at second base, third base, and shortstop for the Aviators.

While Smith’s defensive grades at shortstop in the big leagues haven’t been outstanding, he received positive evaluations at third base. He also had limited experience in left field and first base.

The Yankees currently anticipate Anthony Volpe at shortstop and DJ LeMahieu at third base. Despite rumors of potential Gleyber Torres trades that could open up second base for LeMahieu, Torres remains on the roster. The team also has utility/depth options in Oswald Peraza, Oswaldo Cabrera, and Jeter Downs. If Smith manages to secure a spot on the roster at any point, with only one year and 63 days of service time, the Yankees have the flexibility to retain him beyond the 2024 season.