Reds sign former Red Sox infielder in desperate attempt to remain in playoff hunt

Update: Reds placed Jake Fraley on 10-day IL and designated Brooks Kriske for assignment to make room for Dominic Smith on the roster.

The Cincinnati Reds are not done adding to their roster. Earlier this week, the Reds plucked Amed Rosario off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers, and now Cincinnati has reportedly signed former Boston Red Sox infielder Dom Smith to a major league deal.

Smith was let go in Boston after first baseman Triston Casas returned to the Red Sox lineup. A former first-round draft pick of the New York Mets in 2013, Smith is hitting .237/.317/.390 with six home runs and 34 RBI on the season.

The signing is extremely peculiar, but it does coincide with Jeimer Candelario's placement on the 10-day IL after suffering a fracture in his foot. A corresponding move hasn't been made just yet, but Cincinnati will need to make room on the 40-man roster before bringing Smith aboard.

Reds sign former Red Sox infielder Dominic Smith in desperate attempt to remain in playoff hunt

Adding Smith, along with Rosario, would seem to indicate that Reds President of Baseball Operations Nick Krall believes that his team is not out of playoff contention. The Reds came back from a six-run deficit on Wednesday to take the series from the Toronto Blue Jays, but their chances of getting back to the postseason for the first time since 2020 aren't looking very good.

Currently, the Reds are 5.5 games back in the chase for the final NL Wild Card spot and will need a tremendous push over the final month of the season in order to get into the playoffs. Division rivals like the Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals stand in their way, as do the Mets and Atlanta Braves.

The signing gets even more odd considering how well Ty France has played since coming to the Queen City. Smith, however, is a left-handed bat, and most of the Reds' lefties have been abysmal this season.

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