Dodger News: Insider Provides Update on Will Smith Extension Talks
Dodgers catcher Will Smith has consistently improved in each of his first four MLB seasons. In the last two years, however, he's established himself as one of the better hitting catchers in all of baseball.
Last year, Smith slashed .260/.343/.465 with 24 home runs and 87 RBIs. He hit 26 doubles, walked 56 times and struck out just 96 times in 578 plate appearances. This was after a 2021 season where he slashed .258/.365/.495 with 25 home runs, 76 RBIs, 19 doubles, 58 walks and 101 strikeouts in 501 plate appearances.
He's eligible for an extension this year, as he's headed for arbitration next offseason. The Dodgers would love to bring him back, and Dodgers insider Fabian Ardaya provided a mini update on those talks in his recent mailbag article for The Athletic.
"Have the Dodgers engaged with Will Smith on an extension? — Jay O.
"My understanding is that the Dodgers haven’t to this point. Outside of Julio Urías, Smith may be the most obvious extension candidate on the roster. I’ll be diving into that more in-depth soon."
The Dodgers don't need to get on it yet, as Julio Urias is headed for unrestricted free agency this offseason, and a slightly more urgent matter. However, the Dodgers shouldn't wait too long to talk to Smith, as he's not someone they want to lose.
The former first-round pick in the 2016 MLB Draft has lived up to hype so far in his MLB career, and will likely only continue to get better as he enters his age-28 season. The Dodgers do have another up-and-coming star at the catcher position in Diego Cartaya, but he won't be ready for a few seasons, and the Dodgers can cross that bridge when they get there.
Between the designated hitter (if they don't sign Shohei Ohtani) and the ability to move one of them to the infield, Smith's bat is too important for the Dodgers to lose. Catcher is one of the hardest positions to find consistent offensive production at, and Smith is as good as anyone in the entire MLB. They can't let him slip away.
