Pavin Smith has been a member of the Arizona Diamondbacks' organization at some level ever since he was drafted in the first round of the 2017 MLB Draft.
For 10 seasons, in and out of the minor and major leagues, Smith has been synonymous with Arizona, to varying levels of success - or lack thereof.
But on Tuesday, as the 2026-27 MLB offseason begins , and rosters begin to be trimmed down by organizations, a transaction involving Smith popped up on the list.
And it would appear, at least for the time being, that his time in the Diamondbacks' organization has come to an end.
Jul 5, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Pavin Smith against the Milwaukee Brewers at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
According to the transaction logs, as well as a press release from the Diamondbacks announcing a large-scale roster move , Smith has been outrighted off Arizona's 40-man roster. In turn, that sends him to Triple-A Reno, where he has spent plenty of his professional career.
But Smith has instead chosen to become a minor league free agent. This means he is free to sign with any organization that may have interest.
That could, potentially, include the Diamondbacks, so it's not an absolute guarantee he has spent his last day in Sedona Red. But Smith choosing to elect free agency rather than taking an outright assignment to Reno suggests he may be looking for a fresh start.
The Reno Aces also posted a goodbye to Smith, who has played 175 games for them over his career. He hit to a .301/.425/.500 slash and .925 OPS for Reno over 43 games, 181 plate appearances in the 2026 season.
But Smith's 2026 did not go well for him, and it was an unfortunate continuation of negative trends.
Sep 19, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks first baseman Pavin Smith (26) celebrates his walkout home run during the ninth inning against the New York Yankees at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
In 2026, Smith dealt with injury and underperformance. He hit to just a .141/.236/.192 slash in limited playing time by July 8, after which he was designated for assignment from Arizona's roster .
Smith remained in the organization, however, and was called back up in September . He hit .290/.333/.548 in a small sample size following his return , but it wasn't enough to rescue his full-season OPS, which ended up at .556.
For his major league career, Smith has hit .242/.325/.398 for a .723 OPS . His best season, by far, came in 2024, when he appeared in 60 games as a strict platoon bat and hit to a .895 OPS. He followed that with 87 games' worth of a .796 OPS in 2025, but was limited by injury that year, as well.
Smith can provide a quality left-handed at-bat with some slug, but his numbers have never quite lived up to the seventh overall pick. When protected from left-handed pitching and used as a DH, Smith has had some success. It just hasn't looked like that consistently.
But it looks like any potential career renaissance may come for a different team.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/diamondbacks/onsi as Pavin Smith's Time in Diamondbacks' Organization Appears to be Done .
