Pavin Smith Elects Free Agency After Diamondbacks Outrighting
The Arizona Diamondbacks removed first baseman Pavin Smith from their 40-man roster on November 3, and he elected minor league free agency rather than report to Triple-A Reno.
Smith’s departure follows a difficult 2026 season, when injuries and poor results limited his time with Arizona. By July 8, he was hitting .141 with a .236 on-base percentage and .192 slugging percentage, and the club designated him for assignment. He returned to the majors in September and hit .290 with a .333 on-base percentage and .548 slugging percentage in limited action, finishing the year with a .556 OPS.
The Diamondbacks outrighted Smith from their 40-man roster as the 2026-27 offseason began. The move assigned him to Reno, where he has spent substantial time during his career, but he chose free agency instead. He is now eligible to sign with another club, though a return to Arizona remains possible.
Smith, whom Arizona selected seventh overall in the 2017 draft, has played in the organization’s major- and minor-league teams. In 2026, he appeared in 43 games for Reno and posted a .301/.425/.500 batting line with a .925 OPS. Across 175 career games with the Aces, he has recorded a .301/.425/.500 line.
In the majors, Smith’s career numbers are a .242 average, .325 on-base percentage and .398 slugging percentage, for a .723 OPS. His strongest season came in 2024, when he produced a .895 OPS in 60 games, largely as a platoon hitter. In 2025, he had a .796 OPS across 87 games, with injuries also restricting his playing time.