At one time, Dominic Smith was considered the future in New York, but that never panned out in Flushing. The now 29-year-old never met the expectations as the New York Mets’ first-round pick in the 2013 draft.

But the Yankees think he can meet their hopes in 2025.

According to the YES Network, Smith and the Yankees agreed to a minor-league deal that included an invitation to the major league spring training camp. For the Yankees, it’s a cost-effective insurance policy at first base after they signed aging former MVP Paul Goldschmidt to replace Anthony Rizzo.

Goldschmidt is 37 years old and coming off his worst career season. The Yankees spent $12.5 million hoping for a bounce-back season from the 2022 National League MVP, but they are preparing just in case.

Even if Goldschmidt is playing well this season, the Yankees strongly believe in regulating the workloads of their players, especially older players. Therefore, it is highly likely that Goldschmidt will have significantly more “rest” days than he did in St. Louis, where he averaged over 150 in the last four seasons.

That does not mean Smith will get a chance to crack the big league roster this season.

Besides Goldschmidt, the Yankees have Ben Rice on the 40-man roster as a lefty-hitting first baseman. They also have DJ LeMahieu, who can play first if not starting at third base, and Oswaldo Cabrera, who has played first.

Smith played in 93 games in the majors last season, split between the Reds and Red Sox. He had a .691 OPS. In six seasons with the Mets, Smith slashed .246/.308.424 with a .733 OPS. He hit 46 home runs in 447 games.

He played most of his career at first base but was usurped by Pete Alonso and forced into playing the outfield at the end of his time in Flushing. He is still considered a serviceable defensive first baseman.

So, he’s a cost-effective insurance policy for the Yankees.