Ex-Met Dominic Smith agrees to deal with Nationals

Former Mets first-round pick Dominic Smith has signed a one-year contract with the Nationals, The Post’s Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman confirmed. The deal, for $2 million, with another $2 million in plate appearance bonuses available, will keep the 27-year-old first baseman/left fielder in the NL East.

The Mets non-tendered Smith in November after he appeared in 58 games and logged 152 plate appearances at the major league level in 2022, while bouncing between the majors and Triple-A Syracuse. He hit just .194 with a .560 OPS in the majors last season.

Smith suffered a sprained right ankle running the bases July 16 that needed a rehab assignment and didn’t record another MLB at-bat the remainder of the season.

After the Mets selected Smith No. 11 overall in 2013, he made his MLB debut four years later at age 22. His best season was 2020, when he accumulated 42 RBIs, 56 hits and a .993 OPS in 50 games under a schedule shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Across the last two years, however, those numbers dipped. Smith appeared in a career-high 145 games in 2021, but only produced a .244 average and .667 OPS despite that extended opportunity.

The Nationals finished last in the NL East in 2022 with a 55-107 record. Before the trade deadline, they dealt star outfielder Juan Soto and first baseman Josh Bell to the Padres, stocking up on prospects for their rebuilding process.